Out Fly Fishing outfitters Guides | Bow River Fly Fishing Guides

Out Fly Fishing outfitters

Josh Nugent (Outfitter & Guide)

Josh learned to fly fish at the age of six. By the time he was in Junior High he was giving casting lessons to other kids from his school. After completing a coaching diploma and playing basketball for Red Deer College Josh moved to Calgary. Once again he was back on the Bow river. His passion and love of fly fishing are second to none.

In 2003 Josh started Out Fly Fishing outfitters Ltd at the urging of others in the industry. Guiding put Josh through the rest of his undergraduate and graduate degrees at the University of Calgary. "During my undergrad I couldn't always tell you what happened during class, but I could tell you what the trout were eating."

Josh did his Master's Thesis on the visual characteristics of expert fly casters. He did an eye tracking study where expert caster's eye movements were monitored while casting to targets. It examined the visual characteristics of expert casters with respect to accuracy, and what gaze characteristics are associated with accurate vs inaccurate performances. His thesis also addressed manipulations of attentional focus, and which is more conducive to an accurate performance. His study is the first of its kind in the fly casting world.

Josh has been fortunate enough to be featured in several fly fishing publications, both as a writer and in The Canadian Fly Fishers,Top Guide Spotlight. He has also worked with several Fly Fishing shows such as two episodes with friend, and host of LL Bean's Guide to the Outdoors, Tim Rajeff. Josh has also severed as one of the Co-Hosts for Fly Nation (Seasons 1 and 2). Josh also serves as a Pro Staff member for Clackacraft and FishBum Outfitters, as well as being the Canadian Echo Rod rep.

"When I started this company at the age of 21 it was a risk. At 21 you won't be afforded the mistakes competitors twice your age would be, and I'm ok with that. I knew from day one that I was half the age everyone expected a fly fishing guide to be, but to me that simply meant I had to work twice as hard if I wanted to get people's attention."

That is what Josh has done and continues to do. On a river as world renowned as the Bow river there is going to be competition in the industry. Competition is a great thing, because competition forces Outfitters and guides to work harder and strive to provide the best service possible for their clients. That's why day in and day out you'll find Josh is the last one off the water. At the end of the day he's exhausted, that's because his idea of rowing a drift boat involves hitting every seam, as many times a necessary to make sure his clients have the best opportunity to catch fish. Bow river trout are worth more than one pass, and not every seam is reachable from the bank. Josh's philosophy has, and continues to be, "it's your day O.F.F. not ours."

Naoto Aoki

Out Fly Fishing outfitters is proud to announce one if its newest members Naoto Aokoi, joining us for the 2010 guiding season. Naoto Aoki was born in Banff, Alberta where he began fly fishing at a very early age, although he spent most of his life in Peterborough, Ontario. With fly fishing as his main focus, he has traveled the globe, pursuing some of the greatest game fish the world has to offer. From Peacock Bass deep in the Amazon to Atlantic Salmon in the pristine rivers of Iceland, there is not too much Naoto has not caught on a fly.

Naoto is an outdoor writer and photographer and is regularly featured in such magazines as The Canadian Fly Fisher and Outdoor Canada. He is also a co-host of Fly Max Films and both Seasons 1 and 2 of the new and upcoming show Fly Nation. Naoto has guided all over Canada and is extremely excited to add the world famous Bow River to his list! He has spent countless hours on the river and can't wait to start guiding the Bow.

Naoto is as gifted with people as he is with a fly rod or a camera so he is a welcome and experienced addition to the O.F.F. team.

Akasha Bopp

Akasha Bopp joined Out Fly Fishing outfitters back in 2006. In 2003 Akasha and Josh coached club basketball together and have been fishing together since. Akasha worked as a high school social studies teacher for 11 years. He completed his Masters of Arts in Organizational Leadership Training and now works as a consultant in community and economic development. Akasha has been learning and helping others learn about fly fishing for over twenty years. He cut his teeth fly fishing on the many small streams in southern Alberta while growing up in Pincher Creek. Akasha's family has since moved away however his wife's family still resides right along the banks of the Crowsnest river which affords Akasha the opportunity to still frequent his old stomping grounds as often as possible.

Akasha specializes in helping beginners enjoy the sport of fly fishing that he loves so much. He also has a passion for stalking surprisingly large trout in skinny water, which the Bow river is famous for. Although he enjoys fishing the Bow, his true love is the waters in the deep south of Alberta like the Crowsnest, the Livingston, and the Oldman along with the many other smaller tributaries in the area. Akasha's local knowledge and connections give him access to areas most of us can only dream about.

Todd Clark

Todd has been guiding on the Bow and Southern Alberta waters for over a decade. Todd's attitude is as upbeat as it is infectious. With Todd having fun is first and foremost, everything else comes after that. Todd's the perfect match for the beginner fly fisher as his positive attitude is matched by his patience and knowledge base.

Todd also has an uncanny ability to put his guests on fish. It seems whenever you see Todd one or both of his guests have a fish on. Its always a joy to see Todd on the water as one can usually hear laughter coming from his boat, as Todd's follows his belief that it has to be fun. After all if you can't have fun fly fishing when can you...

Dean King

Well it was a long time coming but we finally have a proper bio for Dean. We put up a gag one about him being released from prison as a joke and believe it or not that motivated Dean to get us a more accurate bio so here it is: Dean King was born in Alberta over four decades ago and started fishing the Bow as a very young child. Dean especially likes fly fishing and tying streamers. Dean started working with us in 2008 and has been an extremely valuable addition to the O.F.F. team. Patiently instructing anglers from beginners to the most seasoned veterans, Dean finds himself lucky to be able to refine his skills on waters as bountiful and challenging as the Bow. Dean's easy going nature and quiet enthusiasm are very appreciable attributes on the water. With thing is certain about a day on the water with Dean and that's that you can't help but enjoy yourself. Dean may have a bit of a dry sense of humor but what a sense of humor it is (Josh says that if more of Dean's jokes weren't at my own expense I might like hanging around the guy). Dean is a welder by trade, and a very good one, but its almost entertaining to see how excited he is to be spending the day in a drift boat, its impossible for that enthusiasm to not be contagious. For decades now Dean has maintained the necessary skills to guide on most of the trout streams around Alberta and Southern British Columbia.

Mike Algar

Mike Algar was born in Kitimat, British Columbia where he got his taste of fishing at a very young age. He continued to develop his interest and abilities when his family moved to Calgary and made a new home overlooking the banks of the Bow River. Mike has been guiding fly fishers of all ability levels in southern Alberta since 2004. His true love is the Bow but is just as keen to guide interested anglers throughout the majority of Alberta's fishy waters. He can be found on the freestone streams of the Rocky's frontal range, alpine lakes or even the eastern Alberta slews hunting Pike in the early spring. He is an artist, photographer, fanatical fly fisher and is just as comfortable in the outdoors and the back country as he is anywhere.

He considers himself fortunate to have close friends both locally and throughout the western side of North America and has navigated drift boats through more than a dozen river systems throughout the Alberta, BC, Montana, Washington and Northern California. When it comes to fly fishing, Mike is not someone who is just out to catch the biggest fish possible but more thoroughly enjoys the exploratory aspect of the sport. He enjoys fishing new waters for all different species of fish large and small. From the Atlantic salmon on the Miramichi River in eastern Canada to the Striped Bass of California's Lower Sacramento River to fishing the flats of the Bahamas and the majestic rivers of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State.

Mikes skills as a guide are developed more each season so is his passion for the sport and the job. Mike is a modest, courteous, and confident guide who always puts the wishes of his clients first.