Todd Stapleton ~ Fly Fishing Guide
When I was 14 years old, my uncle gave me a fly tying kit and showed me how to tie a Rio Grande King Wet fly. This triggered the passion. I had to have a rod to go with all the so-called bugs I was attempting to create. I was in K-Mart and spotted the rod for me. It was blue with yellow wraps But even cooler than that, it had a blue foam handle WOW! It came with a Martin reel and the whole package was only $24.99. What a deal.I tied on a four foot section of some 10 pound test fishing line for a leader, probably using a square knot to attach it to the fly line. I took my box of seven painstakingly tied Rio Grandes on a camping trip, and caught a fish. Then I caught another. And another. I caught more fish on that trip than I had ever caught using worms or lures. Thank God for hungry brook trout in high mountain streams! I was hooked. So was my brother's ear, the back of my hand, my hat (many times) and just about every tree and bush within my 10 foot casting range.
My name is Todd Stapleton, I was raised in Great Falls, Montana and currently live in Hardin. For the past six years I have been guiding the Bighorn and Yellowstone rivers along with other streams that I will leave unpublished. We can talk about these lesser-known places when you visit. I have been married for two years and have been teaching high school math for two years (I had to get a real job.) It's a great way to supplement my income from guiding.
I am 36 now, and I have refined my skills at a fly fisherman over the years. A while back, I discovered graphite. How I ever learned to cast my overcooked spaghetti noodle -- albeit, ultra cool blue fiberglass K-Mart rod - is beyond me. I create a new bug and itch to get on the river to see if it will catch fish. I still get excited by the strike of a trout, just as I did 22 years ago.
