Our Guides

The High Country Flies guide staff is characterized by its low-key approach to providing the best overall experience possible. While catching trout is no doubt the name of the game, becoming a better, more informed angler is equally important. After a day with one of our guides, we think you’ll agree.

    John Fitzgerald

    John Fitzgerald

    Fitz has spent the last 15 years in and around the Jackson Hole area. Many of those years have been spent teaching and leading novices around mountain ranges and rivers in Wyoming, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, the Indian Himalayas, the Yukon Territory and Idaho. When not teaching and helping his students and clients catch fish, John is busy wading or floating the local waters. In the winter months Fitz can be found ski guiding clients on Teton Pass and teaching avalanche safety courses to locals, search & rescue and various military units.
    Kyle Short

    Kyle Short

    Kyle may be a bit closer to the wild than most, having been attacked and bitten by a rabid fox at the age of 5, but don’t let that scare you from enjoying a day in the boat with him. He is a well-educated and knowledgeable guide (and is vaccinated as well). Either at work or play, Kyle spends a lot of time in his boat and the national parks, and enjoys learning and experiencing everything this great place has to offer. Being a former national parks guide, his knowledge and expertise on the area make for a very pleasurable day, and his deep southern accent gives you a warm welcoming to Wyoming.
    Matt Schliske

    Matt Schliske

    Matt Schliske, a native of Wyoming, has been fishing for trout for as long as he can remember. He has chased trout with a fly rod all over the western Rocky Mountains for the past fifteen years. When not fishing, he makes bamboo fly rods for customers around the globe. He recently bought a flats boat and headed south to learn the salty side of fly fishing, and currently splits his time between Florida and Wyoming. Photography and film-making are also passions of his. Matt has had works published in Fly Fisherman magazine, American Angler, Fly Rod & Reel and The Drake. He also works with the Fly Fishing Film Tour in the winter, touring the latest fly fishing films around the country. Matt's fine bamboo work can be seen at: http://bamboo-fisher.com/
    Ralph Hlebak

    Ralph Hlebak

    From hunting in Alaska, fishing the flats in the Yucatan for Permit, Bonefish and Tarpon to pheasant hunting in the Dakotas and guiding professionally in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho for over 30 years, his knowledge, enthusiasm and experience make Ralph a popular choice. Ralph loves to share his experience with both those who are new to fly fishing as well as seasoned anglers, and is adept at casting instruction and bringing smiles to his guests, with his sense of humor and commitment to giving them a trophy fishing experience.

    Ryan Hall

    Ryan's Articles & Trip Reports
    Originally from Northern California, Ryan has spent the last 17 years calling Jackson Hole home. Well-versed in the finer things in life - namely trout fishing and powder skiing, Ryan has been guiding with HCF since 2002. His patient, easygoing style combined with excellent knowledge of the river have made him popular with our clients of all skill levels.
    Steve Bywater

    Steve Bywater

    Raised in a Park Service family in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, Steve has fly-fished local rivers since he was a very young. After graduating from Utah State University with a degree in English, Steve began his guiding career as a backcountry guide on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska. But it didn't take long for Steve to return to home to his first love: floating and fishing the rivers of Jackson Hole. Steve began as a scenic river guide on the Snake River, where he taught park visitors about the magnificent local wildlife and natural history He then decided to combine everything he liked to do for fun as a kid into one sweet job - he became a fishing guide for High Country Flies in 2008. When not on the river, Steve is traveling the world and perfecting the art of perpetual bachelorhood.
    Will O'Meara

    Will O'Meara

    Will O'Meara has always called the trout waters of the Rocky Mountains home. Originally from Colorado, Will grew up tackling high alpine terrain while skiing steep mountain peaks or chasing monsters on the South Platte. Will's passion and enthusiasm for trout fishing eventually lead him further north to Montana where he spent several years fine tuning his skills and exploring the waters of Rock Creek, the Bitterroot, and Blackfoot River. After attending the University of Montana, Will migrated south to a location where all of his passions would collide-in Jackson Hole. Will has spent the past five years exploring the pristine local waters including Yellowstone and is eager to share his knowledge of the region with the beginner to the avid angler.