Brad McFall grew up fishing the Middle and North Forks of the Stanislaus River, and East Carson River as well as the small Freestone streams in the area.

Brad moved to Mammoth Lakes in 1999 because of what it has to offer - an outdoor playground. Brad spent the first two years studying the diverse waters that we have in our surrounding area.

In the spring of 2002 Brad was hired at The Trout Fly and attended the Clearwater Guide School. He has since become one of our premier guides, reaching Master Guide status and has taken over the lead guide position from Kevin this year. Brad has also been featured in such publications as South West Fly Fishing magazine, as well as Fly Fisherman magazine.

Brad truly takes pride in teaching people the different arts of fly fishing. Brad really enjoys giving "casting clinics" from the first timer to the very advanced caster. He is a competiton caster and can sling a line well over a hundred feet. He is a pleasure to be with and trully enjoys his work, taking people out in our wonderful area and showing them our beautiful streams. From the technical spring creek tactics of Hot Creek and the Upper Owens River, to the beautiful landscape and wild fish of the scenic San Joaquin River, to where Brad spends most of his time going after the trophy Brown Trout of the East Walker River. No matter what you're after Brad is here to cater to your needs and give you that wonderful outdoor experience.

Dave Neal has been guiding for the shop since the spring of 2002. after completing the Clearwater House Guide School in Northern California.

He has proven to be an extremely hard working guide and is a popular instructor. Many of his first-time beginner clients get hooked on fly fishing to return year after year.
Dave is the epitome of what sets our guide staff apart from other local guide services. He is totally competent guiding all the waters in the local area, equally at home getting clients into large fish on Crowley Lake, hiking into remote backcountry streams or fishing a #24 trico spinnerfall on the East Walker. Casting dry flies, nymph fishing streams or pulling streamers to catch that big beast brown trout, Dave is an experienced and knowledgeable guide who can teach even the oldest dogs a few new tricks.

When asked why he decided to be a fly fishing guide, he’ll say it’s the teaching and learning aspect of the sport that’s challenging and exciting. “Having an office outdoors in the beautiful High Sierra is tough to beat also”.

Kent Rianda
A former chemistry teacher, chemical engineer, inventor and manufacturing company owner for 20+ years, Kent moved to Mammoth in 1992 so he could ski full time and didn’t have a clue what he was going to do to kill time in the summers. He walked in the Trout Fly the first summer to see what this fly fishing 'thing' was all about and the rest is history. By the end of that summer he was fishing 5-6 days a week and hasn’t let up since.

After buying the Trout Fly and then the Troutfitter he kidded that he didn’t tie flies or guide because it cut into his fishing time. We’ll, he gave in on both fronts and now guides and ties, both, but restricts his activities to Crowley Lake and his custom "Optimidge" chironimid patterns to use on the lake. “I like to fish streams too, but let’s face it, the odds of catching a big fish on any given day is best on Crowley and that’s what does it for me. It’s a different puzzle figuring out how to find and fool the monsters every day. I love solving the puzzle and sticking the big ones!

In his guiding Kent likes to concentrate on the teaching aspect. “The biggest reward for me is to see kids get turned on to fly fishing and to have clients come back and tell me that the things I have taught them have made a major differenece in their ability to catch fish on their own."

“That is the most rewarding thing about owning the Trout Fly and the Troutfitter, whether guiding or helping customers in the shop, you are giving them ‘the best gift of all’ - the tools and knowledge to catch more fish and that’s what it is all about if you love fishing.

Kent also hosts several trips every winter and takes customers to the Bahamas and Belize to chase Bonefish, Tarpon and Permit. Drop him an e-mail, kent@thetroutfitter.com, if you'd like to find out about these trips and possibly join him.

So, if you’d like to get a lesson on Crowley, catch him in the store or go out for a day on the lake, but don't ask him how to get to Hot Creek, he'll have to pull out his map!