OUR STORY

Appalachian Anglers was born out of several discussions between Joel Dickey and Reece Panter. They both quickly realized they had the same passion for the area and wanted to find a way to share their knowledge with locals and newcomers alike.

Joel and Reece both grew up in Blue Ridge, which has been home to their families for generations. Joel has been a professional guide for almost 25 years. For the last 15 years Joel has operated his own successful guide service in the Florida Keys, where he spends about five months a year guiding almost exclusively for Tarpon. Reece has been guiding professionally since he was 15 years old with multiple outfitters.

Joel, and his wife Stacy, have a 10 year-old son who they both adore. As a result, Joel’s main goal is to spend more family time in Blue Ridge and less time in the Keys.

Reece has already built a reputation as one of the most accomplished guides in the Southeast. The number of clients who return to fish with him each year are the strongest testament to Reece’s skill. They’re also the same people who encouraged Reece to start his own guide service.

Once Joel and Reece discussed their goals, it didn’t take long for Appalachian Anglers to become a reality.

They share the same values and vision for how a guide service should be operated. Professionalism, attention to detail and client satisfaction are the cornerstone of how Appalachian Anglers operates. Couple that with the fact that it’s Blue Ridge’s only locally owned and operated guide service, and you begin to understand why clients continue to make Appalachian Anglers their first choice, and why it should be your first choice.