Meet the Utah Fly Guides

Bryan Eldredge is an admitted fish addict with no aims towards recovery. He has managed to find therapy in helping others catch fish and experience the waters of his youth. In his ``off season`` Bryan is a Professor of American Sign Language & Deaf Studies at Utah Valley University. (He has to do something to justify his Ph.D. in linguistic anthropology.) He attributes his love of guiding to the fact that it combines his avocation (fly fishing) and his vocation (teaching). Bryan lives in Pleasant Grove with his wife, Julie, and has three daughters and two grand daughters.

Utah native, Jake Ricks has been a fly fishing guide for 2 decades. One of his true successes is achieving his 3rd grade goal of making fly fishing his profession. At age 12 Jake began to explore American Fork Creek with a handful of mosquito flies and a $20 rod. By the end of high school, Jake knew the nearby Provo River better than almost anyone and was tying his own unique flies. Jake has worked in fly fishing retail, managed lodges, competed in professional fly fishing tournaments, and has had several articles, tips, and photos published in periodicals and online at bumpywaters.com.

Jeff was born in Provo, Utah, but his first experience fly fishing was on the Fire Hole River in Yellowstone at age 8. Jeff has been fly fishing off and on all his life but he got serious about it about 15 years ago. Jeff, now one of the best fly fishing guides in Utah, enjoys helping others enjoy the challenge and thrill of fly-fishing. Some know Jeff from his days as a star quarterback at Timpview High and Dixie College and as as a defensive back for BYU. Jeff has a strong background in hospitality and his skill as an angler, patience, and passion for providing top-flight customer service make him a great fit for any angler.

Spencer Higa was born practically on the banks of the famous Provo River in Provo, UT. He grew up fishing the local rivers, streams, and lakes and began guiding way back in 1996. Famous for the Higa's SOS fly pattern, Spencer has been tying flies commercially and for fun for more than 20 years. He loves fishing the high mountain streams for brookies, cutts, and rainbows, almost as much as he loves the challenge of searching for trophy browns. Spencer has competed in Fly Fishing Team USA fly fishing competitions and qualified for Nationals twice. He is also an accomplished videographer and filmmaker with selections in the International Fly Fishing Film Festival. Spencer is extremely experienced, knowledgeable, and simply one of the best fly fishing guides around.

Darren was born and raised in the Utah Mountains and grew up fishing Utah rivers and lakes. He loves sight fishing for large trout in small water. Darren is an unassuming fishing guide with a great sense of humor and a happy-go-lucky personality. He is a consummate professional who exemplifies service. Darren is also a writer who recently completed his first novel. He also holds a black belt in Kung Fu which he used to hone his teaching skills as a martial arts instructor. He now loves teaching on the water. Darren lives in Draper, UT with his understanding wife, daughter, and son.

Tragically, little Timmy Johnson hadn't even finished elementary school when he fell victim to a serious fly fishing addiction. Stuck growing up in fly fishing Hell (Arizona desert), he spent his days peddling his yellow Schwinn Cruiser to bluegill and bass-filled ponds and spent his nights absorbing articles from the best fly fishing guides in magazines and tying flies. Soon Tim began feeding his hunger for monster trout by visiting Utah (under the auspices of visiting family). In 2000 he moved to Utah and has been making up for lost time, fishing and guiding ever since. Tim lives near Provo with his wife, Georgie, and their kids, who already love to fish with ``Dadda.” When not on the water, Tim can be found painting watercolors of big, bright, trout. You can see Tim's paintings at timjohnsongallery.com.