Robert Dibblee

Bob was born in Hammond, Indiana. Following his graduation from Ball State University, he spent five years flying in the Air Force, 17 years in the Air Guard, and 33 years with Delta. He has been living in Park City, both part- and full-time, for the past 33 years. Like many people, he started fishing at a young age using an old open-face casting reel and even won a few casting events. In the military, he converted to spin casting. About 30 years ago, his son got him hooked on fly fishing.

Following his career at Delta, he became active in the High Country Fly Fishers (HCFF) Trout Unlimited Chapter and served two terms as its President. During his time as Chapter President, he spent many hours working closely with the Utah Trout Unlimited Vice President of Conservation to conserve and protect Utah’s watersheds and led efforts to get HCFF actively involved in numerous conservation projects. Following his leadership at High Country, he served five terms as Utah Trout Unlimited Council Chair.

During his time as Chair of the Utah Council, he spent many hours working closely with the Council Vice President of Conservation to conserve and protect watersheds. They worked with many agencies and organizations, including the Division of Water Quality, Central Utah Project, Utah Rivers Council, and Provo Watershed Council. They were also heavily involved in negotiating two agreements with Berry Oil: the Strawberry Diamond Fork Agreement and the Lake Canyon Agreement. He was responsible for organizing the Park City TU Western Regional Meeting, attended by more than 50 TU officers from across the western United States.

He reinvigorated the Utah Anglers Coalition, becoming its Chair. Under his leadership, the coalition grew from seven people attending meetings to more than 30, including officers from other fishing organizations, trout shop representatives, and DWR personnel. He is an active member of Friends of Strawberry. He was appointed to two terms on the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Fisheries Advisory Council and received the Bob Trowbridge Conservation Award.

Several years ago, his efforts to establish a Trout in the Classroom program in Utah resulted in Division of Wildlife Resources approval to proceed. With DWR as a partner, local Trout Unlimited chapters supply teachers with aquariums, filters, chillers, and tools. Each January, students receive 200 fertilized trout eggs, observe them hatch and grow into fingerlings, and in May release them into approved local waters. This program provides valuable environmental education and connects students with their watersheds. Starting with three schools, the program has grown to 26 schools statewide. Bob serves as the designated Utah Council coordinator for the program.

In addition to the above, Bob has been heavily involved in stream access efforts, women’s fly fishing clinics, Project Healing Waters veteran programs, the Mill Creek Restoration Planning Committee, the annual Utah Trout Unlimited One Fly Tournament, the Wasatch Fly Tying Expo, and participation in regional and national Trout Unlimited meetings. He was also an instrumental member of the team that helped organize the TU National Annual Meeting at Snowbird. He worked with State Parks and Recreation to build a boat launch at Jordanelle Reservoir for kickboats and other non-gasoline-powered craft. Most recently, he obtained funding from the Blue Ribbon Council to install boot cleaning stations on the Middle Provo River.

Bob’s efforts have gone far in cementing a strong working relationship with the Division of Wildlife Resources.