Our Montana Fly Fishing Guides Love What They Do
Gallatin River Guides fly fishing guides log more days on the water than any other Montana fly fishing guides. Because of our location in Big Sky, we are a year-round guide service. Our guides work in every month of the year, in all types of weather.
With over a hundred years combined guided experience, our crew works with all abilities of anglers. We love guiding beginners and helping them discover fly fishing. Our expertise allows us to work with experienced anglers, offering them new tips and techniques. We know the waters of Montana and can take experienced anglers to all corners of the state, creating a new brand of fly fishing for these seeking new fishing horizons.
All of our guides are licensed with the state of Montana and are trained in first aid and CPR.
We love what we do and want to share our passion with you.
Meet some of our guides
- Jimmy Armijo
- Favorite River: Whichever one I'm fishing at the time - the Madison is high on the list though.
- Favorite Fly: The Gobnobbler is my favorite fly name, but the Golden Cat Puke would have to be one of my favorite flies
- Favorite place for after-fishing cocktail: The back deck at Gallatin Riverguides, followed by the deck at the Half Moon Saloon
- Best fish ever: 28'' carp caught in the Rio Grande when I was about 17 years old on a Poundmeister (most memorable, anyways)
- Favorite Place to eat in Montana: Campfire next to any river (The Half Moon, but the Happy Hour, and the Murray aren't far behind)
- What I splurge on: Food and drink after a good day on the river
- Other than fishing for GRG, where else he'd rather be: Montana is the place for me, but anywhere fish are hungry and the scenery is beautiful will do
- Bob Merryman
- Favorite River: All of them
- Favorite Fly: Sculpin
- Favorite place for after-fishing cocktail: Home
- Best fish ever: One I caught on a hot summer day
- Jimbo Humphries
- Favorite River: Well the river that's fishing best - they all have their turn. But, I do like the Yellowstone the best
- Favorite Fly: The one that's catching fish: Spring, it's usually a nymph (prince, hare's ear, lightning bug); Summer, it's a hopper/dropper( foam hopper, high viz para adams); Fall, streamers
- Best fish ever: Client - big Brown on the Yellowstone; Self - big Brown on lower Madison
- Favorite place to eat: Montana Ale Works
- Other than fishing for GRG, where else he'd rather be: Playing with my grandson, whitewater boating, extended river trips, skiing deep powder
- Aaron Broughton
- Favorite River: Yellowstone
- Favorite Fly: Anything with lead eyes
- Favorite place for after-fishing cocktail: Melrose Bar on the Big Hole
- Best fish ever: A streamer-eating Brown trout
- Austin Trayser
- Favorite River: Yellowstone
- Favorite Fly: Purple Masher
- Favorite place for after-fishing cocktail: Charlie B's, Missoula
- Best fish ever: Giant Brown trout from the Gallatin
- Shawn Diesel
- Favorite River: Slough Creek, Soda Butte, Lamar or maybe the Madison
- Favorite Fly: Anything with CDC
- Favorite place for after-fishing cocktail: The Murray
- Favorite place to eat in Montana: Calling in burgers at the Happy Hour Bar on the way home from the Madison at 11pm
- I splurge on: Flies and other things I tend to lose
- Other than fishing for GRG, where else he'd rather be: Fishing somewhere, I guess
- Josh Osborn
- Favorite River: Gallatin - hands down - and the Kalama River, SW Washington
- Favorite Fly: Bloom's Caddis
- Favorite place for after-fishing cocktail: Happy Hour near Hebgen Lake
- Best fish ever: Monster Gallatin Brown on salmon fly dry and a 39" X 18" summer Steelhead from the Columbia River in Oregon, or a Costa Rican sailfish (credit to Mr. Bob Merriman for making me scale the rock face to get into the hole for that sailfish)
- Blake Majors
- Favorite River: The Big Hole or Yellowstone
- Favorite Fly: Pink Pookie
- Best fish ever: 42'' Redfish in south Texas
- Favorite place to eat in Montana: Rib and Chop House
- Other than fishing for GRG, where else he'd rather be: Sitting on a tropical beach having a rum drink after a good day of fishing on the flats
- Pat Joyce
- Favorite River: Yellowstone River near Livingston
- Favorite Fly: Gotta love the Chubby!
- Favorite place for after-fishing cocktail: Murray Bar in Livingston - Moscow Mule is my drink
- Best fish ever: Yellowstone Two-Footer, caught in mid-March, ate a big-ass streamer
- Best Fishing Memory: Surf-casting with my dad off the coast of Cape Cod, then having dinner in Nantucket
- Mike Donaldson
- Favorite River: Madison, Yellowstone, Gallatin
- Favorite Fly: Big streamers or the Slippery Taco
- Favorite Place for After-fishing Cocktail: Happy Hour near Hebgen Lake
- Favorite Fishing Memory: Fishing the Hexagenia hatch in the middle of the night every year on the AuSable River with my brother Nick and my Dad when we were little kids
- Favorite Place to eat in Montana: Breakfast at the Bugaboo Cafe
- What I splurge on: Flies, Fishing Gear, and Cold Drinks
- Other than fishing for GRG, where else he'd rather be: Fishing for permit in Belize
- Patrick Straub
- Favorite River: Secret Creeks
- Favorite Fly: Purple Haze in size 16
- Favorite Steak: Baseball cut sirloin at Montana's Rib and Chop House
- Other than fishing for GRG, where else he'd rather be: With his daughter or chasing tarpon
- Peter Bakun
- Favorite River: The Gallatin, but the lower Madison in the winter is probably my favorite
- Favorite Fly: Parachute Adams
- Best Fishing Memory: While teaching in Bush Alaska I had the good fortune to fish the Kvichak river. I was able to land, measure, and release a 36 3/4" rainbow
- Favorite place to eat in Montana: I really enjoy the Buffalo Burgers at Ted's Montana Grill in Bozeman
- Other than fishing for GRG, where else he'd rather be: From September 1st until January 1st, you'll find me with Gallatin, Madison, and Jefferson (my three Brittanies) roaming around Montana looking for upland birds
