31 Years of Fly Fishing Experience
Our guides are the reason we are celebrating 31 years in business.
Our Orvis-Endorsed personable, knowledgeable, and professional guide staff are the most experienced in the Vail Valley with a combined 300+ years guiding on local waters. No other outfitter in the valley can say that!
Our guides closely monitor river flows, water clarity, and movement of bug hatches to put you where the fish are biting best. This makes them the best teachers for any of our clinics and schools, but especially our Orvis Fly Fishing School!
Several of our guides have been with us since day one. These folks know the waters we fish like the back of their hand.
35+ guides on staff in the peak season; 20+ certified rowing guides for float trips.
What Makes Our Fly Fishing Guides Special?
Fly-fishing isn’t just a sport, it’s a passion. That is why our guides have been here so long. We train all potential guides in a guide school curriculum that we developed and refined over the past 26 years. All new guides, regardless of Fly-fishing experience, must complete this week-long program before they are able to work for us. Being a great guide isn’t just knowing how to catch fish. Being a great guide is about understanding a client’s expectations and skill level to create the best experience possible, while being patient and inspiring. From the complete novice to the seasoned angler, we want to make your day on the water as enjoyable as possible. Almost all of us grew up fishing with a parent or family friend and we want to pass that on to you and your family.
Meet our Guides
Alex Clarke
Alex Clarke is a born and raised Vail Valley local and has been fishing these waters for as long as he can remember. His days as a kid were spent fishing the Colorado and Eagle rivers with his dad, Rob. Alex started rowing a drift boat before he could drive a car.
Read Alex’s Full Bio Here
Amber Leach
Amber is a River Guide and professional writer who loves to write about fly fishing, outdoor recreation, and topics in leadership, across all niches. She is starting her 3rd year with Fly Fishing Outfitters and loves to help others explore their passion for fly fishing.
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Ayrton Henderson
Guide Bio Coming Soon!
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Ben Gaieski
Guide Bio Coming Soon!
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Bill Anderson
My name is Bill Anderson and I’m a River Guide/Orvis Casting Instructor. I have been with Fly Fishing Outfitters for one year now. I am originally from upstate New York but have lived in the mountains of Colorado for over 35 years.
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Bill Sutila
Guide Bio Coming Soon!
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Bobby Stedman
Guide Bio Coming Soon!
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Christian Bower
My name is Christian Bower. I have been a Fly Fishing Guide with Fly Fishing Outfitters for five years now. I enjoy sharing the wonderful places we get to recreate in, in addition to teaching how to respect and appreciate these places that are so special.
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Dan Houck
My name is Dan Houck and I have been a Fly Fishing Guide with Fly Fishing Outfitters for 20 years now. I’m originally from Lake St. Clair Michigan and have lived in the Eagle Valley for 21 years.
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Darryl Dagen
My name is Darryl Dagen and I have been a Fly Fishing Guide with Fly Fishing Outfitters for the past 17 years. I am passionate about inspiring clients to learn all the reasons for loving, not just the sport of flyfishing itself, but also the fish themselves and the importance of cherishing the environment they live in.
Read Darryl’s Full Bio Here
Howard Leavitt
My name is Howard Leavitt and I’ve been a River Guide with Fly Fishing Outfitters for 15 years. I’m originally from Connecticut but have been in the Vail Valley for 47 years.
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Hunter Towery
Guide Bio Coming Soon!
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Jacob Beasley
My name is Jacob Beasley and I’ve been a Fly Fishing Guide with Fly Fishing Outfitters for 4 years. My goal in life was to make work something I didn’t hate to show up for, so I decided to take people fishing for a living, as fishing and hunting are my passions.
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Jason Newell
Guide Bio Coming Soon!
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Jeff Snyder
Guide Bio Coming Soon!
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Jewel-Leah Carlon
My name is Jewel-Leah (pronounced “Julia”). I’m a colorado native. My passion for fly fishing developed 8 years ago. I fell in love with fly fishing after my first cast. Once I caught my first fish I became obsessed. Though I soon realized it is easy to have an obsession with something you love, especially when there is so much to learn. I was eager to learn more and spend most of my free time on the river.
Read Jewel-Leah’s Full Bio Here
John Byron
My name is John Byron and I’ve been fly fishing for 50 years now In fact, I’ve been with Fly Fishing Outfitters since 1993 and was part of the original group of guides that started FFO.
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Joseph King
My name is Joseph King and I’m an Orvis Fly Fishing Guide and Instructor. I’ve worked for Fly Fishing Outfitters long enough to know that bananas have no place on a boat. Some lessons are learned the hard way!
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Keli Wyatt
Guide Bio Coming Soon!
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Kevin Rorig
Guide Bio Coming Soon!
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Kevin Wildgen
Kevin, along with the staff at FFO have developed one of the most recognized guide school programs in the country. When he isn’t chasing Trout, Kevin is a lead Ski Instructor at Beaver Creek.
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Kelly Bobye
What are you most passionate about professionally? Sharing my love for fly-fishing by teaching others how to love it too. Personally? My family. What would you do even if you didn’t get paid to do it? Fly-fish all over the world
Kip Wolcott
My name is Kip Wolcott and I’ve been fly fishing for 51 years. I’m originally from Aspen Colorado but have been in the Vail Valley for 30+ years now, 23 of which I have spent with Fly Fishing Outfitters. In this time, I have guided over 3000 trips.
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Matt West
Guide Bio Coming Soon!
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Mike Haycock
Mike is new to Fly Fishing Outfitters this year. With him comes a contagious passion for all things “river life.” Mike’s favorite thing to do is to be on his raft on the river. Living in Denver for the past ten years, he recently moved to the Mountains. He grew up in Wyoming, camping and fishing on the North Platte River near Saratoga. The Platte Valley Wilderness area (which a recent forest fire in Wyoming devastated) was Mike’s favorite place to go as a youth.
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Otto Jordan
Guide Bio Coming Soon!
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Phillip Turner
Guide Bio Coming Soon!
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Scott McKenzie
Guide Bio Coming Soon!
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Steve Litt
Guide Bio Coming Soon!
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Vance Williams
My name is Vance Williams and I grew up in South Carolina fishing with my Grandfather and brother nearly my whole life. I moved to Colorado around the age of 21, and have since then lived all over the state from the Arkansas River Valley to the Eagle River Valley and the front range.
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Vik Raol
Guide Bio Coming Soon!
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