Bozeman Jobs in Fly Fishing

Bozeman Fly Fishing Outfitting Manager

Fins and Feathers Guide Service is a fly fishing outfitter based in Bozeman, Montana. Established in 2000 along with the fly shop - Fins and Feathers of Bozeman – we have been guiding fly anglers throughout Montana for over 20 years. We sold the fly shop in 2022 and now focus solely on the guided fly fishing aspects of our enterprise. Our goal is to provide exceptional fly fishing day trip experiences to learning and advanced anglers on the waters of Montana.

We are currently seeking candidates for the role of Outfitting Manager. This is a full-time remote work position. Our ideal candidate will be based in Southwest Montana, preferably in the Gallatin Valley, and have extensive knowledge of myriad fisheries in the region. The successful candidate will work closely with the General Manager to further our goals through content creation and communication with our clients and staff.

  • Assist with all facets of the outfitting business, including customer service, marketing, and schedule management.
  • Assist with reservation management including taking incoming inquires, scheduling, and managing the customer experience from first contact through trip completion.
    • Reservation management is a year-round aspect of this position; however, the time committed to these duties is highest between April and September. During the summer months, these activities account for approximately 75% of the position’s responsibilities.
    • Answer incoming inquires and build customized guided fly fishing day trips itineraries for prospective customers.
    • Manage reservations using our booking software to maintain reservation details, scheduling, payments, and client/staff communications.
  • Content creation for digital marketing, which includes website, social media, and e-mail newsletters following a planned content calendar.
    • Creating expert, relevant content related to fly fishing and fly fishing in Montana is key to our digital marketing strategy. This strategy is driven through planned content calendars that include web, social media, and e-mail campaigns. These areas of responsibility will be 100% of the time focus between October and February, decreasing incrementally throughout the season.
    • The ability to create content that is well organized, concise, and easy to read for our website following provided outlines and calendars. Examples include webpage content related to regional fishing reports, blog articles, and descriptive web pages.
    • Take ownership of our social media channels and grow our audiences through engagement and content quality. Specifically, the focus will be on our Instagram/Facebook channels with a planned expansion to You Tube.
    • Engage our existing customer base through regularly scheduled e-mail newsletters using Mailchimp following a content calendar and using preset templates.

This is a highly specialized role within the fly fishing industry that requires a unique blend of fly fishing competency and technical proficiency with a variety of digital tools.

  • Bachelor’s degree or a combination of education and at least 2 years of work experience in the fly fishing industry.
  • High level of proficiency as a fly angler with experience on the primary trout fisheries in the region including the Madison, Yellowstone, Gallatin, and Jefferson at a minimum is required.
  • Competent with MS Office, Adobe Creative Cloud, and the ability to become competent with our reservation platform (Flybook), Mailchimp, CMS, and Google suite of web tools (Search Console, Analytics, and AdWords).
  • Ability to respond quickly to inquires, client communications, and staff requests – oftentimes outside of traditional work hours.
  • Excellent verbal communication skills.
  • Project driven and the ability to complete tasks as scheduled from a remote working environment.
  • Excellent and proven time management skills.

  • 5+ years experience as a fly fishing guide or outfitter in SW Montana.
  • 2+ years fly fishing experience on trout fishing waters in the northern Rockies, in addition to the rivers near Bozeman.
  • 2+ years assisting or managing reservations for guided fly fishing day trips in Montana or the northern Rockies.
  • 2+ years of experience in digital content editing and creation related to fly fishing in Montana or the northern Rockies.
  • Competent with SEO and Social Media best practices geared towards growth through engagement.

There are two compensation scenarios that we are exploring to ensure that we find the best candidate. There is no priority being given to either of these scenarios.

  • Manager
    • The full-time manager scenario compensation package is based on an annual base salary between $50-$70K.
    • The successful applicant will focus 100% of their attention on the managerial roles and duties as described throughout the calendar year.
  • Manager and Guide
    • This scenario will involve full time employment with an annual base salary of $35 -$40K.
    • The applicant will be able to supplement their income as a guide, working as an independent contractor exclusively for Fins and Feathers Guide Service between April and October.
    • The managerial and guiding time commitments will closely follow the schedule below.
      • October – March : 100% of time dedicated to the managerial duties
      • April – June: 60% managerial, up to 40% guiding
      • July – September: 20% managerial, up to 80% guiding

To qualify for consideration under this scenario, the applicant must be a licensed guide in the state of Montana and a registered Independent Contractor. Applicants must own their own drift boat, have a valid driver’s license, a vehicle appropriate for guiding in Montana, own their own fly fishing equipment, and have at least 2 years of experience guiding fly fishing float trips in Montana or the northern Rockies.

The successful applicant can expect to guide between a minimum of 50 and a maximum of 75 trips during the season. Gross compensation will vary between $25-$38K, plus gratuities (average $150 per trip) and is in addition the base salary.

  • Competitive Wages
  • Work Remotely
  • Paid Time Off
  • Professional Training
  • Flexible Scheduling

  • As described, with availability during non-traditional hours and holidays as needed between April and early October.
  • This is a managerial role which will require varied time commitments throughout the year. As such, the focus of this role and its time requirements are driven by task completion. The off-season schedule will be based on a flexible, 40 hour, work week.
  • The shoulder and in-season time requirements will be based on the demand of tasks at hand and typically do not follow a traditional, 40 hour work week.

Please forward a resume and cover letter to info@flyfishingbozeman.com to be considered for this position. Applicants are encouraged to note their preferred compensation package as either Manager or Manager/Guide in their cover letter.

Although the starting date is flexible, the successful candidate should be available to start between August 1 and October 1.

Application closing date is July 19, 2024.


Bozeman Fly Fishing Guides

We are looking to add a handful of Bozeman fly fishing guides to our staff members for the 2024 season.

Applicants must have 1+ years experience guiding on the waters around Bozeman, including the Yellowstone and Madison (upper and lower) rivers from a drift boat.

Our guides are independent contractors and required to be licensed by the Montana Board of Outfitters, carry their own liability insurance, have commercial vehicle coverage, and have their own vehicle/boat/trailer/gear packages.

All licensed guides are invited to be included in our "pool" for consideration as overflow candidates. Please note that 95% of our trips are float trips, so please don't apply if your focus is on wade trips.

Email cover letter and resume to info@flyfishingbozeman.com to apply.