Guided Fly Fishing Trips
Guides
Matt Swan (MT Licensed Outfitter #26324)
Matt Swan started guiding in Montana and Yellowstone National Park in 2000, after coming from Lee's Ferry on the Colorado River and The Fly Shop in Redding, Ca. Matt's professionalism and experience ensures that his guests are catching fish, learning a lot, and having a great time in Montana and the Greater Yellowstone area. Matt is a Federations of Fly Fishers Certified Casting Instructor, making him a good choice for beginning anglers and experienced hands alike.
Jan Axtell
Jan is a Father, Husband, Guide, and Hospital Administrator in Livingston MT. A self described "Jackass Of All Trades", he has guided trout anglers for 25 years and is currently in the Guide rotation at Sweetwater Fly Shop in Livingston MT. He guides on the Yellowstone River, the Paradise Valley Spring Creeks, and in Yellowstone National Park. When not fishing Jan enjoys Nordic skiing, reading, wing-shooting over his pointing dog....and more fishing. Additionally, he enjoys tying flies for his clients, area fly shops, and his own fly box. He lives in Paradise Valley with his very loving and tolerant wife Vicki, his very sophisticated 9 year old daughter Zoe, and their 2 hunting dogs Greta and Cooper. He and his family operate Fin & Feather Enterprises together "in 3 part harmony".
" Trout water is the most beautiful place one can find themselves, at any given time, in any given place. I am simply a student of the game, my only desire is that through fishing together my clients leave feeling that they have greater insight into that which makes trout fishing possible... oh yeah... and a few "Big Fish" stories to brag about"
Alex Emery
Hailing from the northeast, Alex grew up fishing with his father in the Adirondack and Catskill Mountains. He fished his way through college at West Virginia University, securing an Advertising degree and a drive to continue west to allow his passion for fly fishing to grow. After attending Sweetwater Guide School in 2016, Alex went on to work in Livingston, MT, primarily on the Yellowstone River, Yellowstone National Park, and surrounding watersheds. He has also spent time as a guide school instructor and has guided the Rio Baker in Chilean Patagonia. Alex’s patience and knowledge makes him a great fit for anglers of all skill
Ben Jewell
Born and raised in central New Hampshire, Ben began fly fishing at age 10 on Little Bog Pond and Newfound Lake. He moved to Montana to become a fishing guide in 2002, but It took a handful of years of working odds jobs and learning the western waters before making that a reality. His guiding career started in 2007 at Park’s Fly Shop in Gardiner, Montana where for nearly 11 years he worked as a guide, shop clerk, and fly tier. Having tied for the past 13 years, Ben ties over 100-dozen flies every year. You will most likely be fishing with one of his creations. Ben also works with the non-profit Will’s Hope which helps challenged young adults. He donates his time showing them the wonders of fly fishing.
If you get the opportunity to fish with Ben, you’ll find he stresses the P’s of life: Stay Positive - Fly fishing teaches us how we are imperfect beings. Patience - Fish do not usually jump in the boat. Perseverance - Through working hard, putting your time in on the water, and believing in yourself you get payback.
Ben has only been a guide on in the Yellowstone area and will do so as long as his wife lets him. Along with being a husband and a guide, Ben is the father of three little girls.
Come fish with Sweetwater Fly Shop and he will most definitely change your life and make you a better angler. Most importantly, your day with Ben will be an experience of a lifetime.
Brad Kaufman
Brad grew up on an Illinois farm with the advantage of having a river that ran through it and many neighbors with ponds full of bass and bluegill. It didn’t take him long to notice the longer rods sticking out of the many piles of fishing poles his dad brought home from the many auctions he went to. Brad was soon on the water with them, catching fish on the surface with small poppers. He was hooked!
In 1985, Brad moved to Atlanta to pursue a career building houses. It was then that he discovered the wonderful Chattahoochee River and began fly fishing from its headwaters in the North Georgia Mountains and on down. He then became a hunting guide for outfitting camps in New Mexico and Alaska, guiding his clients to elk, moose, and other big game. Of course, he couldn’t resist fishing the rivers that flowed right past camp.
Brad moved to Livingston in 2009, got married and still lives there with his wife and three kids. When not guiding for fish, fur or feathers, he enjoys camping with the family, taking his kids fishing and wrestling with his dogs.
Brad loves fishing his home waters right here on the Stone and it will show when he guides you!
Kara Tripp
Kara was born and raised in Northwest Montana, fishing for trout on some of the most fabled stretches of water in the US. Her passion as an angler carried her through college at Montana State University. After graduation, she began looking for a job following her dreams and she was hired in 2009 by The Fly Shop in Redding, California. She landed her first steelhead on the swing very shortly thereafter and became addicted to the tight line tug of the anadromous rainbows. Steelhead started where the rainbows and cutthroat of Montana left off.
Kara is committed to being a full-timer in the fly fishing industry. She has signed on to lead and instruct women attending Sweetwater Women’s Fly Fishing School. Using her years of experience managing the Outfitters Department and Casting Schools for The Fly Shop as well as many years of the highly acclaimed FishCamp program.
When not teaching and sharing her passion with others, she’s designing for Damsel Fly Fishing, a women’s fly fishing accessory brand she co-founded with her sister Lynae. They take bland fly-fishing accessories and add a feminine twist. In between, she hosts trips to Belize in search of the “silver king”, can be followed to the Far East in pursuit of the carnivorous mouse-eating trout that calls the rivers of the Kamchatka Peninsula home, or on the rivers of the Pacific Northwest chasing steelhead. In the winter of 2017/18, she became the first female guide at El Saltamontes Lodge in Patagonia, Chile.
Follow Kara and Damsel Fly Fishing on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Willie Dellwo
Willie was raised in Shakopee, Minnesota and now resides in Belgrade Montana. When fishing with Willie it won't take long to realize he is a hard worker, patient and loves his dog Chip (who will be joining you for float trips!). Willie is also an avid hunter and will chase a variety of species across several states in the fall. Fun fact: Chip hates cows.
Aaron Hansen (MT Licensed Outfitter #5952)
In an age where many Montana fly fishing guides appear to be more like refugee snowboarders displaced from their half pipes, it is very refreshing to have a guide that reflects a bit of the “old school” that is rapidly disappearing from the modern-day fly-fishing world. Aaron Hansen is a gentleman that understands the subtleties and art of being a fly fishing guide.
Born and raised in Salt Lake City, Aaron spent his summers honing his skills as a fly fisherman; at least until the football season began. As an athlete Aaron excelled, he was on a three time state championship high-school football team and was voted all state his senior year. He continued his football career at the University of Utah where he played as an offensive lineman. Today Aaron resembles the guides of old, as a school teacher and a fishing guide. He is the Biology teacher at Big Timber High school and he has continued his football career, but now it is from the sideline as Big Timber’s line coach. Perhaps the thankless job as an offensive linemen is why Aaron has the great demeanor it takes to be a first class fishing guide.
After graduating from College, Aaron started guiding the Yellowstone River in Paradise Valley then gravitated to West Yellowstone where he was a member of the core guide staff at Blue Ribbon fly shop for many years. In addition to guiding in Montana, Aaron has guided in Mongolia for Sweetwater, and he was also the lodge manager at the Turneff Flats lodge in Belize.
As a guide Aaron has a great understanding for the nuances of dry fly fishing. While most boats on the river are in full indicator regalia Aaron quietly and calmly has the ability to produce fish on dry flies. Not only does he produce fish be he as an uncanny ability to deliver the big ones.
Aaron and his wife Amy live in Livingston where they spend time floating the Yellowstone and skiing Bridger Bowl.
Don’t pass up a day with Aaron!
Josh Michaelis
Josh has been an important part of our guide staff for a couple years now. After learning to fish for bass and trout in Virginia, Josh moved to Gunnison, Colorado to pursue a degree in Business and explore the trout fisheries of the Rocky Mountains. Lately though, he has found his true calling, which involves chasing trout with clients in Montana and Yellowstone National Park.
As a part time photographer, Josh has the wonderful ability to capture amazing images of his clients during their fishing excursions. He is a patient and effective teacher with beginner clients, but at the same time enjoys spending time with more experienced anglers searching for that fish of a lifetime. Josh consistently excels at guiding different water types - from the headwater streams of Yellowstone Park, to the larger floatable rivers in the area.
Josh lives in Livingston, Montana and loves to guide fishermen during fishing season, and ski and fish during the off season.
Beau Peavey
Beau started his guide career in Maine chasing Landlocked Salmon and Brook Trout. Having started fly fishing at the age of 4, he is no stranger to the water. After graduating from the University of Maine in 2010, and Atlantic Salmon becoming endangered in Maine, he and his wife moved to Montana to pursue their careers, only instead of teaching physical education, Beau continued fishing.
Beau is a year round Montana resident, spending his winters hunting, skiing and fishing. In the winter he ties flies commercially, and designs his own line of streamers for big trout in Montana.
Beau started working in the shop with Sweetwater and guiding part time. Now a days he is working in the shop a day or two a week and guiding full time. Beau has a professional, laid back approach to guiding, not too laid back though, he does get excited over fish.
Anglers of any skill set are welcomed; in fact Beau loves teaching, as his degree was in outdoor recreational education. He loves his anglers to learn something every day on the water, whether it be a part of your casting stroke, something about entomology, or a little river history.
Steve Wilson
When Steve Wilson first laid eyes on the Yellowstone valley, he asked a local, "What do they call this valley?" The local told him the name Paradise Valley to which Steve replied, "Yea I know it's paradise but what is the name of this valley?" Paradise Valley, as well as all of Montana, became a dream come true when Steve moved to the area via Washington state. He spent his high school and college years learning trout and mountain fishing in the evergreen state after growing up on the bass lakes of east Texas. Now a veteran guide, Steve traded in his career in sales for a guiding career and joined the Sweetwater team eager to not just guide clients, but facilitate a fantastic experience on the water for all levels of anglers.
He is a professional, friendly, and laid back person, but sometimes is more excited than clients when they have a successful day on the water. Steve went to college as a recreation major and interned in several leadership and ropes course programs. He is a teacher at heart and now loves using that experience guiding as well as instructing in Sweetwater's Guide School training the new crop of fishing guides. When not guiding or fishing in Montana, Steve enjoys chasing chrome on northwest steelhead rivers, or traveling to the Caribbean to fish the flats with his wife, Heidi. He and Heidi live in Livingston year round. Steve spends his winters skiing up at Bridger Bowl and works as a lift operator.
