Kirk Bien Kirk has been fly fishing for 20 years, and guiding for 12 years. His favorite places to fly fish are Rocky Mountain National Park, specifically Forest Canyon and the Big Thompson River below Lake Estes. Kirk also guides backpacking and llama pack trips. His favorite fishing buddies are his kids, Luke and Addy. Gary Bien Gary, Kirk’s Dad, began fly fishing with Kirk 20 years ago, and has been guiding at Kirks for 12 years as well. His favorite place to fish in RMNP is Lake Louise, and his favorite guided trips are horseback trips and llama pack trips. He is often referred to as the “llama whisperer” by clients, and most days in the summer can be found trekking in llamas with clients to high mountain lakes. In his off time he enjoys playing with his grandkids at his home he and his wife, Vicki share in Estes Park. Grandma Vicki watches Luke and Addy just about every day in the summer while Mom, Dad and Grandpa are busy with the shop! Darren Christiansen Darren has been guiding with Kirks Mountain Adventures for 8 years now. When not on the water with clients you can find him helping customers in the shop at Kirks. He lives in Lyons, Colorado with his wife of 27 years. Darren is also an accomplished artist, he paints his favorite subject, trout, in watercolor and oil paintings. Fly fishing with clients in Rocky Mountain National Park and showing people the beautiful wild trout found there is one of the favorite parts of his summer. Darren guides backpack and llama pack trips into RMNP as well as guiding fly fishing trips. Mike Caldwell Mike has been guiding for Kirks for 9 years and is not only a resident, year-round fly fishing guide on the Big Thompson River and in RMNP, but also guides most of our Longs Peak trips, as well as snowshoeing trips, overnight backpacking trips, llama trips and trips over the Divide. Mike’s speciality is trips over the Divide via Boulder Grand Pass, fishing Thunder Lake and Lake Verna on the way, and hiking to and fishing pristine high mountain lakes. He is also an avid climber and can be found hanging off the rock when he is not fishing. Ryan Nixon Ryan is originally from Atlanta, GA, and moved to Colorado in 1996 to attend college at Western State University in Gunnison, CO. That’s where Ryan started fly fishing seriously. He moved back to Atlanta after college for a few years and picked up saltwater fly fishing. It wasn’t long after a few years of city living he knew he had to get back to Colorad0 and do what he loves. Ryan loves to see the excitement and joy it brings to people catching fish on the fly in one of the most beautiful places in the country. Clients love his simple and Jerry Lehtinen Jerry has 25 years of fly fishing experience guiding the Rocky Mountain Region waters. His passion is to have the client have a memorable experience on the water, a memory that always will be embedded in their mind, and to introduce novice or seasoned fishers to techniques that will reward them with success when they return solo to the river. As a guide, he not only guarantees catching fish, but to entertain the client for a memory that will last a lifetime. His approach; Be safe, have fun, relax, be patient, and build confidence. This approach will have success in hooking and landing fish all while experiencing the “WOW FACTOR”! When not guiding or tying flies you can find Jerry fishing waters in Colorado, Wyoming and Montana. Christopher Weber Christopher caught his first fish at age two and never looked back. Growing up in Wisconsin meant a lot of fishing for Christopher. Family vacations all revolved around fishing and he followed his father to the water every chance he got. Living on Wisconsin lakes made access easy and the sport never grew old for Christopher. Moving to Colorado in 2001, he sought to expand on his fly fishing, including tail-waters, creeks, lakes, warm water systems and high mountain adventure; he loves it all. Fishing with either kids or adults, he believes nothing is better than fishing, except sharing the experience. And with 200 days a year spent on the water he has some sharing to do! Duane Simmons Duane has been a fly fisherman, horseman and avid outdoorsman all his life, having grown up in Wyoming ranch country. He has spent years fishing throughout the Rocky Mountains and across Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, Montana and Idaho. He lives year round in beautiful Estes Park, Colorado, and has been professionally guiding in Rocky Mountain National Park for the past five years. Duane has guided all major streams, rivers and lakes on the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountain National Park, as well as hiked nearly every trail and backcountry area. Duane feels equally at home in a river as he does on horseback, and loves to combine the two with overnight backcountry trips into the National Park. He enjoys introducing novice fisherman to fly fishing, and takes pride in watching students and friends grow into accomplished fly fisherman and women. DuaneSimmons.com Ryan Stillahn Ryan has been guiding for Kirks since the beginning, and in the summer can be found on the Big Thompson or in RMNP. He also enjoys fly fishing all over Colorado in his free time. When he is not busy in the summer, he is a high school teacher and wrestling coach in Loveland, CO, where he lives with his wife, Karen and their German Shorthair, Benna. Kirks Flyshop is proud to offer the most knowledgeable fly fishing guides in the Rocky Mountains. We take pride in getting our clients onto the fish. Whether it is one of our private water excursions or a fly fishing lesson we have your covered. So don’t spend another year wishing you were on the water, contact us today!
laid back way if teaching. When he’s not guiding or fishing with friends you can find him climbing or skiing.
