Dan Blanton, from San Jose, California, now living in Morgan Hill, California with his wife, Cindy, is a well-known and respected fly fishing and casting instructor, lecturer, fly fishing author and outdoor photographer. He is acknowledged to be one of the pioneers in the development of Pacific coast and Central American saltwater fly fishing. He is the recipient of the Federation of Fly Fisher's 1990 Arnold Gingrich Memorial Life Membership award for outstanding achievement in outdoors writing as related to fly fishing. He also is the Federations of Fly Fisher's 1995 recipient of the Silver King award for outstanding contributions to the sport of saltwater fly fishing. In April of 2002 Dan was inducted into the N.C.C.F.F.F. California/Nevada Fly Fishing Hall of Fame. In October 2009 Dan was inducted into the The Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum Fly Fishing Hall of Fame.

An acclaimed fly tier, Dan originated the Whistler Series, Punch Series, Sar-Mul-Mac Series, Sea Arrow Squid, Bay-Delta Eelet and many other world renowned saltwater fly patterns. His patterns, originated in the late 1960s and early 70s, remain popular and productive world-wide.