Alice Owsley

Ambassador

 

From battling big tuna in the ocean to tiny trout in mountain streams, Alice Owsley is just getting started on the places she will go with a fly rod in her hand. A fly rod has led Alice from spring creeks in Ohio where she learned to pursue trout at the tender age of 8, to the Rocky Mountain West hunting for any fish that will take a fly.  Bitten by the saltwater bug at a young age, Alice has fished extensively for Tarpon, Bonefish, Permit and many other saltwater species throughout the Bahamas, Florida Keys, Belize and Mexico.  She also spent a season helping clients catch giant rainbows while dodging mosquitos and Brown bears in Alaska. Alice is no stranger to Columbia River Basin Steelhead or Carp swimming in the Missouri River.  Through all of her travels no place or fish holds her interest like the many species of trout that inhabit the waters in the Greater Yellowstone region. The variety of fishing opportunities in the area has fueled Alice’s passion for guiding fly fishing since 2001. Alice is an accomplished fly tier and loves trying out new patterns on the water.  A skilled caster who has won competitions, (even though her husband wants her to work on her backcast) Alice enjoys teaching clients new tricks with the fly rod like reach casts, tuck casts and how to properly present a fly when Montana’s afternoon winds begin to blow. Through 18 years of guiding winter snow coach trips inside Yellowstone National Park, Alice has accumulated a wealth of knowledge about the Yellowstone history, unique geology, and animal habits.  If you want to know the name of a wild orchid, the eruption intervals of Great Fountain Geyser or how old a deer is before it turns into an elk, Alice is your guide. Birds along the riverbanks are no mystery to Alice, as she is an experienced birder with a long life list of species. Her background as a naturalist adds even greater detail to her clients’ fishing adventures. Alice guides with a level of professionalism that is unmatched.  When was the last time you got into a fly fishing guide’s truck and didn’t see a mess?  Alice makes sure the windows are clean so you can trout neck without squinting and the bed of her truck is organized so it won’t swallow your gear at the end of the day. In 2012 Alice became a Simms Fishing Products Pro Ambassador Guide. In addition to being a top notch fishing guide, Alice is a great cook, PSIA level II ski instructor and photographer.  She enjoys both nordic and downhill skiing in the winters. In the fall she can often be found behind her German Wirehair Pointer, Norman as they chase Grouse and Partridge.  More than anything Alice loves a relaxing evening watching fish rise on the Madison or a challenging morning of gulper fishing on Hebgen Lake.

  1. Home water? Rivers and streams inside Yellowstone National Park and the Madison River outside YNP
  2. What 2-3 lines do you use the most and why? Amplitude smooth trout, works great in all my dry fly trout situations. Speylite scandi head, love it for swinging soft hackles on small and medium size trout rivers. Amplitude Grand slam, redfish to snook, bonefish to tarpon, with different line weights I have my saltwater travel kit covered!
  3. What was the watershed moment when you knew you wanted to make your living fishing?  While sitting in a lab looking through a microscope at insects so small they could only be seen through a microscope. I enjoyed time spent in the Cascade Range in the collecting forest samples more than being the lab. All my time off was spent fishing so I decided to figure out how to spend more time outside fishing!
  4. If you could spend one day on the water with anyone, who would it be? Bow of Rick Ruoff’s flats skiff
  5. On the rocks or straight? 
 Rocks
  6. If you could give one piece of angling advice to a younger version of yourself, what would it be? 
 GO do it all. Travel to all the places, fish all the water.
  7. What’s in the cooler? 
 Lots of water (not in plastic) still and sparkling. A yummy lunch, including dark chocolate!
  8. What are you doing when you’re not fishing. 
 (Guiding) Dreaming of fish. Bird hunting, skiing, running my business, travel, cooking hanging with husband, Mike and dog Norman. Yoga, pilates, reading.
  9. Where would you most like to fish? 
Tough call between Argentina, Chile and flats of Australia
  10. Stealth or bright lines? 
 Stealth
  11. Two Truths and a Lie. 
 I have hang-glided in the Outer Banks of NC, practiced the  flying hang and return on the trapeze, scuba dived to 120 feet.
  12. Craziest experience on the water? 
 Tough choice given that I fish around so many wild animals, and I am not talking about my clients! Still can’t figure out how a client dropped the butt end of the fly rod out of my boat to the bottom of the river, reel had no drag and the line was wrapped around the circumference of my boat including inside the anchor line, and did I mention English wasn’t their first language? Next best part was my husband was upstream with a mutual client and long time friend trying to explain what was happening and discussing if their assistance would help or hinder the situation, yes I could hear their laughter.