Our Guides
Our Professional Montana Guide Staff
There are a lot of licensed guides ready to row the waters here in Southwest Montana. Tight Line Adventures has hand picked the following guys to entrust your time spent with us is unmatched by any other trip you’ve taken, whether it be here in Montana, or on any other boat you’ve fished from. Best of all, all our professional Montana fishing guides are born and raised Montana boys, ready to show you the waters like only a local can.
Justin Hartman – Licensed Montana Outfitter
Justin started Tight Line Adventures in the fall of 2008 and has been fishing and guiding on the waters around Dillon since his days in college at the University of Montana in Missoula, and here at Western Montana College in Dillon since 2002. Countless hours spent on the water or at the tying bench have helped Justin obtain a unique understanding of the rivers flowing through Southwest Montana.
“Freshwater fly fishing for trout while floating down a blue ribbon trout stream is one of the most rewarding experiences an angler can have during their career” he says. “The acts of nature that have to align to produce one world class trout fishery are astounding, and we are lucky enough to have five within our surrounding area.”
One thing that you’ll find with Justin each time you fish with him is a deep passion and fire that burns for the sport of fly fishing and for the anglers in his boat. He gets more of a thrill watching his clients have a great day on the water than he does fishing himself. A patient teacher and skilled angler, Justin wants nothing more than for each of his guests to share the same fire and passion instilled in him.
Outside of the fishing season you can find Justin chasing anything with fur or feathers, or at the tying bench using the fur and feathers to create new patters for the coming season. Justin and his wife Sarah live outside of Dillon with their son Cohen (3.5), daughter Landri ( 2), and an energetic black lab Harper (3). Justin is a proud pro staff member of Scott Fly Rods and RO Driftboats.
Cory Streett – Licensed Montana Guide
Cory first learned to fly fish on Willow Creek in Phillipsburg, MT when he was 12 years old. Casting a little 4 wt to hungry cutthroat, eager to take a dry, easily hooked him on the sport. Cory didn’t become obsessed however, until he was blessed with the opportunity to move to Dillon, as he landed in the heart of some of the most supreme trout fishing in the United States. It didn’t take him long to see that spending his time on the water, and sharing the excitement and beauty of our Blue Ribbon rivers was a passion that he wanted to pursue.
“I love the excitement and anticipation of getting to teach people new to the sport” he says. Seeing the rewards gained by their success on the water is well worth the time and patience devoted to each client.”
During his time in Dillon, Cory graduated from the University of Montana Western with a BS in Business Management and an Equine Science Minor. He also purses many personal hobbies that our area offers such as horse training, archery hunting, and snowboarding.
Cory has always been passionate about the outdoors, no matter what the activity, and take’s pride in sharing these experiences with his clients. Over the last 4 years Cory has laid his head at night five minutes from the beginning of the Beaverhead River.
“My trip to Montana was one I’ll never forget, and my time with Cory made it even more memorable. For the beginner that I am, I got excellent instruction and unlimited patience from Cory. I caught my first trout with Cory, and when I finally kept one on long enough for Cory to practically dive in the water to net it, he was wet to the waist as he brought the fish out of the water. Cory continued to untangle my line and tie on fresh flies, graciously and in good humor. It was an unforgettable day.” – Mary Lou W.
Nic Jovanvich – Licensed Montana Guide
As long as he can remember, Nic has been chasing fish. As if drawn to the water by some mysterious force (some will argue his Aquarius birth, others a familial gene) he has always needed to be as near to water as possible. From casting a Panther Martin at 6 years old into Anaconda’s Georgetown Lake or Warmsprings Creek, or ruining countless pairs of shoes catching perch, minnows, and tadpoles in muddy ponds and streams near Billings, MT, water has always been a central factor to his survival.
Unsolicited at age 8, Nic asked for a fly rod for Christmas and he did receive. It was a slippery slope from there. Countless days were spent casting a small loop of yarn on the grassy “runs” of the neighborhood apartment complex, honing timing and placement to this tree, that rock, one of the neighborhood cats. Time between trips from his home in Billings, MT to the local lake, Yellowstone or Bighorn River, or to Anaconda’s waterways was passed by tying flies, from classic humpies to radical and imaginative inventions. Fly fishing became inextricably intermingled with life…it was life. Just ask anyone who knows him. If he’s at his home in Billings, MT he’s probably headed to the Bighorn or Stillwater in the next day or two, no matter the season, no matter the weather. If he’s headed out of town, for business or pleasure, it’s guaranteed that his rod and waders are in the back seat of his rig.
“I remember the first few years of fly fishing, the times when rising fish would make my heart beat so fast I could hardly tie on the fly. I would be so excited, I’d get hung up in the bushes two or three times before I could even get my bug on the water! Then, that first connection…what a rush! To this day, there is nothing like hooking up. The pure satisfaction of accomplishment, of two worlds coming together in battle, one against the other in a tug-of-war until finally that cold, sleek, beautiful body is in your hand. At that moment, it’s almost like a mutual respect and understanding….a catharsis of sorts. It’s cleansing. It rights the soul again. It’s why I have to be there as much as possible.”
“I want to take the time to thank your company and especially guide, Nic Jovanovich, for a tremendous float trip down the Beaverhead in September. The trip was one of the best floats I have been on, and Nic was the best guide I ever had. Nic was tremendous for his knowledge of the river and techniques, but more importantly, he put the customer first and was focused on the total experience. We could not have gotten a better guide and better service.” – Brett C.
Craig Jones – Licensed Montana Guide
Craig Jones (30) was born and raised in the five river valley of Missoula, MT on the banks of Rattlesnake Creek. Craig spent his summers growing up in a fly shop or on the river with his father/teacher Mark Jones. After graduating from the University of Montana Western (2007) with a Bachelors in Environmental Science/Fresh Water Fisheries, Craig headed out into the world only to come running back to the place he had grown to love, the Big Hole River. There is nothing more satisfying to Craig than watching his anglers land a fish, whether it be the first fish on a fly rod or the Brown Trout of a life time.
When Craig is not guiding he is roaming Montana finding new territory and new fish for himself and his clients. “I fish because everyday is new, everyday I am surprised, everyday I am humbled, and everyday is unlike any other.
