John McClure
John McClure picked up his first fly rod at the age of 12, and has had a difficult time putting it down ever since. He began working at The Slide Inn during the Summer of 2003 while attending The University of Vermont, and started his guiding career in 2005. You can find him working in the fly shop on his days off, where he has been a familiar face behind the counter for ten years now, or out wetting a line in the Madison after work. John has become a favorite for some of our customers due to his ease in working with anglers of all abilities and skill levels, and his general knowledge of area waters. Those that know him well believe he should seek professional help for his on-going streamer addiction, but the truth is that he lives for passing on that enthusiasm and getting his clients into some of the larger browns and rainbows that inhabit the local rivers. John lives at The Slide Inn during the Winter months, and manages the fly shop when he is off the water.
Starr Corcoran
Starr was born and raised in southwest Louisiana where he spent his childhood duck hunting and fishing the inland waters of the Gulf Coast. He learned how to fly fish for Redfish, Speckled Trout and Bass, but soon set his sights on big brown trout and headed for Montana. After graduating from LSU with a degree in Marine Biology in 2000, he relocated to South West Montana where he has been at home ever since, with the exception of some time well spent in Hawaii. After all of this time he still finds Montana’s beauty spellbinding and still never tires of fishing and hunting it’s terrain. Starr’s quiet sense of humor and good demeanor have made him a very welcome addition to our staff.
Jeremy Clark
Jeremy Clark began his love affair with the Madison Valley in 1997 where he spent his Summers on the Upper Madison with his family. Jeremy hails from Colorado where he went to school and spent the majority of his downtime skiing and fishing the areas around Evergreen. Voted most likely to become a ski bum in high school, he succeeded and moved to Summit County after graduating in 2011. A few years and a couple hard crashes later, he decided to put his skiing career aside and focus more on being a full-time trout bum. He has since become a full time Montana resident, and has been a familiar face in the fly shop for the last four seasons. Jeremy has an extremely easy going personality that meshes with people from all walks of life and skill levels, and is a welcome addition to the guide staff here at the Slide Inn.
Parker Smith
Parker Smith grew up in upstate South Carolina chasing anything that would put a bend in a fishing rod. From bass tournaments to inshore and offshore saltwater fishing – nothing ever scratched the itch quite like fly fishing for trout. After rambling around the mountains of Western North Carolina for a number of years he decided he needed a change and headed west for Colorado. He guided for a number of years on the Colorado, Fraser, and Blue River before he realized that Montana really is the last best place. No surprise here, but Parker fits right in with the streamer hucking crowd at the Slide Inn. But make no mistake, a bobber down or a rising trout gets his blood pumping just the same. Parker is a friendly, hardworking person that is a pleasure to spend a day in the boat with.
Scotty Hall
A native of Boyne City, Michigan, Scotty packed up in 2004 and headed to Southwest Montana to find a place where he could ski and fly fish.
As a guide, he has spent countless days on the Madison, Gallatin, Henry’s Fork, and the waters of Yellowstone National Park sharing his passion for fly fishing with his clients. Scotty works with anglers of varying skill levels and lives for helping beginners land their first trout. On his days off, you will find him pulling big streamers with his friends in a never-ending quest to land a fish of a lifetime while taking in the beautiful Montana landscape. In the off-season, Scotty lives in Big Sky, Montana where he works as a ski instructor for the Yellowstone Club and still manages to spend a couple days a week stalking the wintering browns and rainbows of the Madison and Gallatin Rivers.
Daniel Bragg
Daniel has been an angler and outdoorsman since he was old enough to walk, and began fly fishing at age 9 on the Norfork, White, and Little Red rivers in Arkansas with his Dad. While earning his Bachelor’s degree from The University of Tennessee in Knoxville he continued to learn the art of fly fishing on the Clinch, Holston, Watauga, and South Holston Rivers of the Appalachian Mountains. It only took one trip out to Montana after graduating from school for Daniel to decide that this was the place for him. He packed up his truck and moved to the Madison River in order to pursue the thing that makes him tick, and that is the pursuit of big trout. Daniel loves the challenge of fishing to selective trout, but triggering the aggression of large brown on a streamer is one of his favorite things on the planet. On his days off you can find him looking for that fish of a lifetime in the beautiful waters of Montana or hunting the mountains for the many elusive critters that the Rockies has to offer.
Hunter Derrick
Hunter Derrick was born in Boise Idaho, and was raised between Southern Idaho and Northern California. He spent most of his childhood fishing, hunting, riding horses, and helping raise livestock. His family moved to Northern California right before middle school and this is where he started fishing 24/7. Every opportunity he got he would go out chasing trout, steelhead, bass, striped bass, and more. He was introduced to a program called Cast Hope where they mentored him, and helped him get a job for a local fly shop and a podcast. Hunter’s sophomore year his friends, dad, brother, and himself started a fly-tying company called MeatMarketFlies, and have sold flies all over the country. Hunter has been guiding since he turned 18 and ran some trips on the lower Sacramento River, McCloud, Feather River, and wanted to do a lot more. His dream was to become a full-time guide. He left for Montana 3 weeks before he was going to walk at his graduation ceremony, and he has been here at the Slide Inn ever since.
Declan Reed
Declan Reed grew up in New England, splitting his time between New Hampshire and Connecticut. He spent many of his summers in Ireland, fishing Atlantic Salmon, White Trout, and the occasional mackerel. When he was in New England he fished Nantucket sound, targeting stripers, bluefish, tuna, and his personal favorite, scup. He first picked up a fly rod at 14, but didn’t really get into it until he lived in the driftless region of southwestern Minnesota at the age of 21. After quite some time learning his craft, he decided guiding would be a way to share with others his love for this beautiful landscape and the waters that run through it. A few months later he packed his things and headed for Southwest Montana. He loves that moment where “IT” clicks for a client and feels a deep sense of pride in being the one to teach folks his tactics. On his days off you find him walking unknown creeks, tossing meat snacks in search of giants lurking in small, overlooked places.
Andrew Kangas
Andrew Kangas grew up in Buchanan Michigan and has always been a fishing addict. From a very young age he fished conventional gear for bass, walleye, and steelhead, while catching the occasional bass or bluegill on the fly in lakes and ponds. Andrew didn’t fall in love with fly fishing until he visited West Yellowstone on a family vacation when he was 15. He experienced his first Madison River Caddis hatch, and had himself a double-digit day throwing the same Elk Hair Caddis on an old $10 fly rod combo he picked up at a garage sale. After that he was totally hooked on fly fishing, and told himself, “I’d make it my goal to get back out to the Madison River one day.” Seven years later he showed up on our doorstep looking to get a job, and to get dialed in on his streamer game to become a certified trout bum. When he’s not guiding for steelhead back in Michigan during the winter months, he is chasing Browns wherever they might be lurking.
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