Ryan Johnston is a fly fishing guide with 22 years of experience and the founder and executive director of Cast Hope, guiding across Northern California, Idaho's South Fork of the Snake, and now Montana near Kalispell and Glacier National Park. This conversation covers what two decades of professional guiding has taught him about client management, the evolution of fly fishing gear and techniques, and how he built a nonprofit that uses fishing to serve others. You'll hear about the unexpected challenges of running a guide business and the moment that inspired Cast Hope.
Listen now: YouTube · Apple Podcasts · Spotify
Ryan Johnston has been a professional fly fishing guide for 22 years. He has guided across Northern California, Idaho's South Fork of the Snake River, and currently operates near Kalispell and Glacier National Park in Montana.
Cast Hope is a nonprofit organization founded by Ryan Johnston that uses fly fishing as a tool to serve others. Ryan serves as the executive director of Cast Hope, which creates opportunities for people to experience fly fishing while building community around service and outdoor recreation.
Ryan Johnston currently guides near Kalispell and Glacier National Park in Montana through RJ's Fly Trips. He has previously guided in Northern California and on Idaho's South Fork of the Snake River, giving him extensive experience across multiple Western fly fishing regions.
According to Ryan Johnston's 22 years of guiding experience, fly fishing has evolved significantly in gear technology, techniques, and client expectations, with changes in rod and line systems, increased fishing pressure, and shifts in guide culture across different regions.
Based on Ryan Johnston's experience, successful fly fishing guides need more than fishing knowledge. The profession requires business management skills, client psychology understanding, physical stamina for rowing boats regularly, seasonal income planning, and strong communication abilities.
Twenty-two years is a serious commitment to any profession, and Ryan's dedication to fly fishing guiding shows in every part of this conversation. I wanted to hear what someone who has guided across three different Western states has learned about the business, the sport, and what it means to turn a guiding career into something bigger than himself.
When you've spent 22 years as a professional fly fishing guide, you don't just see the sport change, you live through its transformation. Ryan Johnston has guided through the evolution of fly fishing gear, the shifts in client expectations, and the changing dynamics of fishing pressure across some of the West's most iconic waters, from Northern California through Idaho's South Fork of the Snake to his current home base near Glacier National Park. Ryan's perspective on 22 years of guiding begins early in the episode.
Cast Hope didn't start as a business plan, it started as a response to a need Ryan saw in his community. As both a guide and someone who understands the therapeutic power of time on the water, Ryan founded a nonprofit that uses fly fishing as a tool to serve others. The origin story of Cast Hope and how it operates today unfolds throughout the conversation.
There's a romantic vision of being a fly fishing guide, spending every day on beautiful rivers, sharing your passion with eager clients. Ryan doesn't shatter that vision, but he does add the layers most people don't see: the business management, client psychology, seasonal income fluctuations, and the physical toll of rowing a boat six days a week. Ryan's insights on the business side of guiding are woven throughout the episode.
Each region where Ryan has guided has its own character, challenges, and client base. His experience spans from Northern California's diverse fisheries through Idaho's legendary South Fork of the Snake to his current home waters near Glacier National Park in Montana. Ryan's regional comparisons and specific location insights appear throughout the discussion.
What impressed me most about this conversation wasn't just Ryan's technical knowledge, though that's clearly deep, but his understanding of what it really takes to build a sustainable career on the water. The Cast Hope story adds another dimension that makes this episode special — Ryan isn't just guiding for a paycheck, he's found a way to use his skills and passion to serve others.
Whether you're a fly angler, thinking about becoming a guide, or just interested in how someone turns their passion into both profession and purpose, this conversation delivers. Listen to the whole thing.
Ryan Johnston — Fly Fishing Guide, Founder and Executive Director of Cast Hope, RJ's Fly Trips
Ryan Johnston is a professional fly fishing guide with 22 years of experience and the founder and executive director of Cast Hope, a nonprofit organization that uses fly fishing to serve others. He operates RJ's Fly Trips and currently guides near Kalispell and Glacier National Park in Montana. Ryan has extensive guiding experience across Northern California, Idaho's South Fork of the Snake River, and Montana, giving him unique perspective on regional fly fishing culture and the evolution of the sport over two decades.
Subscribe to get the latest episodes, show notes, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.