Kelly Laatsch, Chief Guide

Kelly has been fly-fishing and tying flies for over 30 years. He grew up in southern Alberta and spent his youth learning the art of fly-fishing on the Crowsnest, Oldman and Castle rivers. He has been a professional fishing guide since 1992. He has worked as a guide in the East Kootenays of B.C. for the past 9 years with the St. Mary Angler, prior to that he was in the West Kootenays for 4 years with Columbia River Outfitters.

Kelly has fished on most of the major trout streams and rivers of the West in both Canada and America. He has spent time on the San Juan River in New Mexico; the Madison, Bitterroot and Gallatin rivers in Montana; as well as the rivers of Washington's Olympic Peninsula, to name only a few.

His lake fishing experience is equally extensive. Kelly has spent time on most of the quality fishing lakes of the Kootenays, many of the lakes of the Kamloops and Kelowna region of interior British Columbia, as well as on the high desert lakes of New Mexico and Arizona. Kelly's has also spent some time fly-fishing the saltwater species of the Florida Keys.

Kelly is serious about his approach to guiding. He is proud of his ability to give clients the best opportunity possible to hook and land fish in a comfortable and safe environment. He has worked very hard to develop his skill-set both as a fisher and as an excellent communicator and teacher. His years of managing a busy drafting and mapping department for local government before his entry into full-time guiding has been an asset in understanding human nature.

Kelly has also made numerous presentations on fly-fishing techniques at tradeshows and private clubs across the West. He has been a regular speaker on the O'Loughlin tradeshow circuit for several years. Kelly has made presentations at shows in Denver, Phoenix, Portland and Tacoma, to name just a few.

During the off season Kelly can be reached at St.Mary Angler Fly Shop in Kimberley, B.C. In the summer months he is much tougher to reach unless you want to follow him along the rivers and lakes on the western slopes of the Rockies in Southeastern British Columbia.