flyfishing, fly fishing, missoula, montana, mt, bitterroot, rock creek, clark fork, smith, river, georgetown lake, guides, outfitter, guiding, herzer, john herzer Expert fly fishing guide with clients on Montana’s Clark Fork River
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At Blackfoot River Outfitters, we don’t hire guides based simply by their Montana fishing experience - but rather their life experience.

Your time on the water is valuable. Too valuable to waste on a guide who thinks your trip is about them instead of you. Our guides will put you on fish, improve your angling skills and increase your fly fishing knowledge. Just as importantly, they enjoy sharing a good story, lay out an exceptional lunch spread and generally make fine company. Some of our guides have fished the world over, others grew up in Montana and find it hard to fish elsewhere. We have guides in their 50’s and others in their 20’s. They are students and parents, Easterners and Westerners, musicians and mechanics. All are special and go about the art of guiding in different ways – and all are hired to make the most of your time on the water.

Dan Milligan James Johnsey Stan Anglen Jason Coates Adam Spenner Mark Elliot Jamie Rodgers Leo Larson Clayton Paddie David Morris John and Terri Herzer Leo Larson
It’s not often folks are able to spend the day with someone who has fished and hunted the waters and mountains of western Montana for a lifetime, but Leo gives you that opportunity. At the age of eight, Leo began plunking worms in beaver ponds and small streams looking for brook trout, and was fly-fishing in his native Montana prior to his teenage years. Leo has spent every year since, honing his fly-angling skills while maintaining his youthful enthusiasm.

Leo’s year-round work for the past for fifteen years has been with the popular Les Schwab Tire centers here in Missoula. Their motto is “red hot and running” and if you have ever been to one you’ve seen why—every employee is well groomed, well spoken and working hard for their customers, all the while with a smile. Leo brings this same attitude to his guiding every day. His seniority at Les Schwab affords him a flexible schedule to guide plenty during the summer months, spend ample time chasing a variety of big game and waterfowl in the fall, work out a few Idaho steelhead in the winter and look for antler sheds and trout heads in the spring. Leo truly takes advantage of living in Montana, while never taking it for granted.

Leo is especially good with beginners and young anglers—he has plenty of practice with three young sons—but is equally adept at sharing his lifetime of experience with the most seasoned anglers. Spend a day with Leo and really learn what local knowledge is all about.