Dan Bentsen

About

Dan Bentsen, or better known as "Dano", began his guiding career in 1981, taking his love of fishing and making it a career. He worked for outfitters Wayne Gardner, Steve Schaefers and Dave Helfrich before he began guiding full time for Ken Helfrich in 1997. Since then he has become an integral part of the Dan Bentsen on Middle Fork Salmon in IdahoHelfrich river family. Dan's caring personality and willingness to help, paired with his honed fly fishing skills and outstanding boating abilities, makes him a wonderful guide to spend your time with on the river. These traits, among others, have been indispensable as he's escorted countless guests down the McKenzie, Willamette, Middle Fork of the Salmon, Main Salmon and Rogue rivers for over 30 years.

When not working for Helfrich River Outfitters, Dan guides on the Umpqua, Siuslaw, Smith and Alsea rivers. When Dan is not on the river he has devoted his time to carpentry, honing his skills as a master craftsman and perfecting the construction of beautiful, hand-made McKenzie Drift Boats. Distracted only by the lure of fishing, each winter he builds one or two fully customized boats during the off-season out of his home shop. Many of the guides on the Helfrich Crew run Dan's boats and have for years. When not indulging in his passion for boat building, Dan enjoys fishing for Steelhead, Salmon, Bass and Trout.

Dan Bentsen currently lives in Springfield, OR. He grew up in Eugene, Or, next to Amazon Creek, where he was renowned for his Bull Frog hunting skills. He went to Linn-Benton Community College and successfully completed his carpentry apprenticeship training.

Outfitter

Helfrich River Outfitters

Welcome to the best drift boat fly-fishing trips Oregon & Idaho have to offer! Join the Helfrich family for a drift boat fly fishing trip in Oregon or Idaho. Helfrich River Trips ... moreare known as the most deluxe trips offered in the picturesque Pacific Northwest. The vacation of a lifetime, these trips offer a wonderful experience for guests of all ages.

"History" and "tradition" are words that have different meanings to different people. To us, at Helfrich River Outfitters, they are extremely important because they represent much of what we stand for. The Helfrich name has been synonymous with river running since the mid 1920's.

We are committed to excellent service and the safety of our guests. With state-of-the-art equipment, delicious freshly prepared meals, and a friendly experienced professional staff, we are able to provide river experiences that are second to none.

Why Helfrich

When people ask who they entrust their river vacation with, HELFRICH River Outfitters comes up first every time.Not only are we the oldest and most experienced company on the rivers we specialize in, but our safety record has been flawless since the beginning.

In 1925 when Prince Helfrich first started guiding on the McKenzie, he had an edge on other fishing guides because he added value to his trips with extra things like frying the fish his clients caught on the river bank or bringing one of Marjorie Helfrich’s home made pies to share at lunch time. The concept of added value to our trips has continued for 87 years, and is adopted a Helfrich standard.

Now into our fourth generation, our trips continue to improve and evolve.We have and will continue to always make the trips the best that they can be for our clients. The safety and comfort of our clients is our first concern.

The experience of our crew members and their accommodating and friendly attitudes makes our guests know they are in good hands.

Fishing Trips: