Hi, I’m Jamey Thomaston, a fly-fishing guide in Montana; the latest stop in a journey that’s taken me across America and beyond in my search for fish.
I grew up fly fishing in North Carolina and on the tailwaters of eastern Tennessee, before heading for the Alabama coast at the age of 16. There, my professional fishing career began as a deckhand on fishing yachts. I caught everything from red snapper to blue marlin in the Gulf of Mexico and placed second in the Mobile Big Game Tournament when I was just 17.
By now, fishing was in my blood but it was time to serve my country.
After an enlistment and a tour in Iraq as a US Marine, I became a firefighter. I specialized in wildland fires, first as part of a hotshot crew and then as a Missoula Smokejumper from 2013 to 2016.
That move to Montana wouldn’t be the only time I got a preview of my working life to come. Armed with an aviation degree, I left firefighting, completed my flight training within 10 months, and found a pilot’s job in Alaska. On my days off, I discovered the fishing up there was as good as the scenery.
That posting led to a job with commercial airlines, since then I’ve used my time on the ground to take people fishing. For all my happy memories of the Gulf Coast, Alaska, and the rivers of Argentina, Montana is the place I call home.
I love sharing my passion for fly fishing and travel, as well as supporting local fly shops, breweries, and even a good dive bar on occasion. You’ll have read so much about what makes this magical state the center of the fly fishing universe: contact me today and I’ll show you it’s not just hype…