Don Sawyer (b. 1936) was elected to the Anglers’ board of directors in 1998. He was introduced to fly fishing more than 40 years ago by his good friend John Wylie, one of the founding members of the Anglers.
“Those trout John put me on during a Trico hatch, no net, didn’t even know how to tie a knot, really got me started,” said Don.
Don is a member of the Red Cedar Fly Fishers, was on the board of directors for the Great Lakes Council and served on the board of directors for Fly Fishers International. His two home rivers are the Au Sable and Manistee.
Don is a specialist in veterinary anesthesia, having been educated at Michigan State University (MSU), practiced in South Bend, served a tour in the U.S. Air Force, San Antonio, received a PhD from Colorado State University, and went for specialty training at the Department of Anesthesia, University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco. He returned to the MSU Veterinary College to serve as faculty, becoming Emeritus Professor 1997. He is recipient of the MSU-CVM Distinguished Veterinary Alumnus Award, the MSU Distinguished Alumni Award, and the 1999 AVMA Veterinarian of the Year Award. He is President of the International Association of Fly Fishing Veterinarians (www.iaffv.org). Don and his wife Judy have been married 58 years; have three children and five grandchildren. They have lived in Okemos, Mich. since 1970.
