In Guides We Trust

What makes a good guide great? The criteria is seemingly endless: everything from “ties good knots” to “makes miracles happen.” But perhaps the most important is the ability to read and adapt to people along the same lines of reading and adapting to water variables. As “troutopias” go, Montana has bred more freshwater fishing guides per capita than perhaps any other state. Author Allen Morris Jones highlights Bozeman native Pat Straub of Montana Fishing Outfitters—as well as a few of our top guide picks—in the article “Local Knowledge: Seeking Troutopia”.

From the Big Sky Journal: “If you’re an enthusiast of a certain age, a certain inclination, working as a guide becomes a natural kind of life transition. But those who have a true calling for it, a talent, a certain je ne sais kwah… seems like they’re a rare breed indeed. Consider what it takes. You have to be a jack of all trades, equal parts politician and psychiatrist, fly tyer and bankside chef. You need the patience of Job and the canned patter of a tour guide. You have to be cheerful in all weathers and most of all, of course, able to find fish. No matter what.”

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