Guide Profiles

All of our guides work as independent contractors. If you are interested in a particular guide, please book your trip as soon as possible. Many of them are booked a year in advance. If you have fished with us in the past but can't remember who your guide was, let us know and we'll try to look it up.

If you don't have a particular guide in mind, please let us know what you are looking for in your fishing experience and we'll try to set you up with a compatible guide.

John Foust: 68 years old, 29 years guiding. John is probably our best known guide. He was born & raised in the Bitterroot valley, and has fished here most of his life. John started tying and selling trout fly's as a teenager. John has been guiding on the Bitterroot and other Montana rivers for the past 29 years. John say's he can't see, can't fish, is a lousy driver, and is a little senile. We don't argue with John. John is in semi retirement , he is on the Montana fishing guide retirement plan. John travels with his trusty boat dog Mayda. For more on John go to the JOHN FOUST EGO BOOST PAGE.
Rick Thomas: 44 years old, 17 years guiding. (The boss). Rick was born and raised in Hamilton Montana. He started fishing at an early age and loved fishing in the creeks of Skalkaho and Sleeping child. He started tying flies at the age of 17, a few years later he started tying them professionally. He tied flies and helped John and Elna in their fly shop for a few years and moved his way up to guiding. After guiding for 4 years he decided to get his Outfitters license and become his own boss. Rick is laid back, easy going , loves to fish. Rick has a partner that always works with him. He is a Schipperke named Bodee. Bodee also has a page on myspacce, www.myspace.com/flyfishingalways
Tom Moore: 62 years old, 13 years guiding the Bitterroot. Tom was a Biology & P.E. teacher in Bellingham WA. Tom spent two summers "trout bumming" in Montana before he started guiding, he obviously fell in love with our fishery. Tom fishes year round. When he is not in Montana, you can usually find him fishing for Salmon or Steelhead in Washington, Idaho, and British Colombia or chasing the sailfish, bonefish, tarpon and permit of Costa Rica, Mexico and Belize. Not only is he a great trout fishing instructor, he also teaches spey casting. Tom is traveling with a boat dog named Emmy, a black lab.
Capt. David "Boomer" Bean: Dave grew up in the Florida Keys, received 100ton Captains license in 1982, Guided flats fish ie. Tarpon, Bonefish, Permit in the Keys, then became the head guide at the Southern Cross Club on little Cayman. After moving to Chicago & guiding in Wisconsin for Sm. Mouth Bass. Muski and Trout. Moved full time to Montana in 1999 where he now guides with Fly Fishing Always. Dave's companion "Kona" the old lady of the river passed on we will all miss her. Dave has a new boat dog in training a lab named River.
Kevin Shulund: 37 years old, 7 years guiding experience. Started rowing a boat and fly-fishing at the age of 14. Born and raised in Hamilton, Montana. Enjoy steelhead and salmon fishing during the off season. Certified unemployed teacher. Those who can’t teach, go fishing! I have been married for a lifetime…16 years and 2 daughters. You will notice the gray hair, which is obviously genetic and has nothing to do with the 3 great ladies in my life. I do not have a boat dog, but can bark like a dog if needed.
Jenny West: Jenny West is 36 years old and this is her 8th season guiding on the Bitterroot. Jenny was raised in the Bitterroot Valley and has been fishing since the age of 10. When not casting a flyrod, Jenny is usually found rowing her dad down the river! She is involved with Trout Unlimited and is a casting instructor for the local women's flyfishing clinic. She is blue eyed, tall, BLONDE, and can row...need we say more?
Curt McChesney: 56 years young, entering into his 7^{th year of guiding. At the age of 12 Curt put away the spinning rod and cut his fly fishing teeth on Rock Creek, the Bitterroot, Blackfoot and Little Blackfoot and Clark Fork rivers. A fly fishers dream for sure. After a 30 year career with the Forest Service that included everything from smoke jumping to fire management Curt called it quits to become a full time fishing guide living in the Bitterroot Valley. After the clients have left in the fall you will find Curt and his wife Peggy traveling across the state with their two labs (these dogs are not boat dogs!) fly fishing, hunting birds and big game. The winter months will find Curt coaching ski racers and ski instructing throughout central western Montana.}
Emmett Burns: 47 years old, He grew up at Lake Tahoe, skiing and fishing the Eastern and Northern Sierra's for Thirty five years. He moved to the Bitterroot Valley in Western Montana in 2004. Between work and play he can be found on the river nearly two hundred days a year. With sixteen years of guiding, and forty years as a "Trout Bum" let him share his experience with you!!
Jason Lanier: Jason Lanier has been fishing the rivers around Montana for over twenty years. Originally from Southern California, he spent most of his childhood summers traveling and fly fishing the western states. After moving to Montana in 1996, he has guided for several of the top outfitters in Montana for 11 years. Jason is a very accomplished and innovative fly tier. Several of Jason's fly patterns are featured in the Montana Fly Company's 2007 catalog.
Benjamin Hart: Benjamin has been a guide on the Missoula area waters for 8 years. When not guiding he’s probably on the water fishing or hunting ducks with his black lab Belle. Growing up in Pennsylvania he cut his teeth fishing limestone spring creeks then moved west to Colorado for a few years, and finally to Montana where he found the best fishing. This former owner of a whitewater rafting company has floated a lot of water in search of trout, steelhead and some saltwater species. “When I’m not fishing, hunting or tying flies I like to ride horses, ride mountain bikes, hike, listen to good music and drink good beer” says Benjamin.
Travis Wallace- Age 28 Years, Guiding 9. Travis grew up in Washington State and attended school at Central WA University. He began guiding on the local waters there as well as going south to both guide and fish for dessert steelhead. He has been coming to Western Montana his entire life to visit family and enjoy the outdoors. He moved to the Bitterroot Valley in 2003 and has continued in the same fish bum lifestyle. “ I look forward to seeing you on the water, Fish On”.
Scott Warren: Scott has been guiding on the Bitterroot and other Montana rivers for many years now, he is usually booked in far advance. We use him when we can get him.

We work with new guides every season, this is only a partial list, we can normally fit you in on a last minute booking. However with the popularity of fly fishing it is best to book in advance.