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Morgan is originally from Los Angeles, CA where he grew up playing hockey and enjoying the beach life. After high school, he went to Arizona State University to study civil engineering. During his college years, he started fly fishing in northern Arizona and southern Colorado every chance he had and the addiction has grown from there. After a few years fishing around Arizona, he took a job as a guide in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Five years of guiding and four ski seasons later, he finally decided to move to Cotter to further pursue his career in the fly fishing industry and chase fish year round.
Logan was born and raised just a few miles north in West Plains, MO but considers the White and Norfork Rivers his "home waters". Logan had a fly rod in his hand from the moment he could walk and was taught by his late father who instilled the love of the sport into him. Logan spent the first 7 years after college as a Junior High and High School special education teacher but the river kept calling his name. Logan soon found himself working in a local fly shop on weekends and during summer break. It didn't take long until Logan was guiding and working in the shop full time. Since being an educator, Logan is now using his skills to teach others how to fly fish and how to catch our trophy browns. When not in the shop or guiding, you can still probably find him on the river enjoying some time on the water with his family.
Paul is originally from the Kansas City area but at times has lived from Texas to Alaska. Growing up Paul was an avid bass fisherman, fishing pro-am tournaments around the Midwest. Paul went on to study Fisheries and Wildlife Biology at Kansas State University. After college Paul spent nine years guiding on the world famous waters of Bristol Bay Alaska at Alaska Rainbow Lodge. During the off seasons from guiding in Alaska, Paul has been a commercial fly tyer specializing in our favorite, large streamers. After many years of coming to fish here, Paul decided the White and Norfork were too incredible to not call it home full time. When Paul isn't guiding you can find him spending time with his wife and son on the river!
MEET OUR GUIDES
We use only the best full time, local guides in the area. Below are a few of the guides we use on a regular basis however, there are many other great guides we book.
Tadd is an Arkansas native who grew up an outdoorsman fishing and hunting the Ozarks. As such, it was a natural transition into guiding full time back home after a stint guiding in western Colorado. Tadd's background includes guiding for trout and smallmouth bass in the Ozarks, the cofounder of The Smallmouth Tour, and has had work featured in media like The Ozark Podcast and The Ozark Fly Fisher Journal, as well as had appearances in Southern Culture on the Fly Magazine and BluffLine Media's Buffalo River documentary. Though the bulk of Tadd’s days are spent chasing trout, he is a highly sought after river smallmouth bass guide should you wish to chase a different quarry on the fly. Tadd is also a dedicated husband to a very fishy wife and a father to three incredible kids.
Tadd Fore
Born and raised in the extreme northwestern portion of the Ozarks Plateau, Luke Coffey is no stranger to his biospheric surroundings. He is known simply as Luke to friends and family. Often there’s an ole, as in good ole, adjective injected in that nomer. That’s due to his reputation as a personable and down right likeable fellow. Luke earned his formal education in the small, rural public schools of this region as he tagged along with mom and pop along their career path as educators. He was quite active in various school activities from the onset of this schooling. After high school he toiled at a local junior college earning an Associate’s Degree in Biology. Most would say his real education began after his JUCO days. That’s when he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. Luke served our country for over six years in this role, with multiple deployments to the Middle East, Afghanistan, and Africa. After a medical retirement from the USAF, Luke once again went the higher learning route, attending Oklahoma State University earning undergraduate and graduate degrees in Environmental Science. After OSU, Luke moved on to his real passion. That love began in boyhood days with fishing rod and line tethered not only to his hands, but also his heart. This hobby would evolve into his career. Luke has been sharing his love of the angle through guiding for going on a decade now. This occupation has taken him from the clear streams of the Ozarks, to the wilderness of Alaska; and back, several times. More recently, Luke has turned his eyes to the Gulf of Mexico guiding in pursuit of tarpon in the Florida Panhandle. Look him up if you want to experience this natural high. You’ll probably find him out on the river.
Luke Coffey
Ben Levin was born and raised in rural Arkansas and grew up fishing every creek and tailwater in the Ozarks. He’s spent his entire life in the fly fishing industry guiding, traveling, instructing, photographing, and sharing his passions everywhere from the southern US to Idaho, Montana, Alaska, Patagonia, the Gulf Coast, and the Caribbean, just to name a few. Ben has been guiding in Arkansas for over 25 years and stays booked up well in advance, so make your requests early. He and his wife Megan live in Mountain Home, Arkansas with their chocolate lab, Rio and their Russel Terrier, Peanut.
Ben Levin
Arkansas native, Born in Stuttgart Arkansas and grew up working on the family rice farm, and duck hunting guide service. Kyle was guiding waterfowl by age 14, and was introduced to fly fishing at age 12 while staying at a private trout club and lodge in Ohio, while attending a ducks unlimited meeting with his father. Waterfowl hunting and fly fishing have been a major part of Kyle’s life. “ I remember countless hours wading and fly fishing with my grandfather growing up, mostly on the little red back then” Kyle has over 20 years and around 3,000 days on the river between fly fishing and whitewater guiding in the natural state and also out west in Colorado and California. Kyle believes that fly fishing and the gift of the river, have been an unmeasurable tool to help navigate through the uncertainties of life. “Teaching someone to fly fish and unlocking the keys to tap into that gift themselves is probably my favorite part about guiding”.
Kyle Bogard
Duane was born in Denver, Colorado, but raised in Joplin, Missouri. S earliest fishing memories were in the Rocky Mountains fishing small streams with his father and uncle Charles as a youngster. Growing up just outside of Joplin, he fished farm ponds, creeks, and on family vacations at Lake Taneycomo. He always had a line in the water.
He attended Joplin high school and Automotive Technology at Franklin Technical school also in Joplin. He spent his career in the automotive industry, including ownership of HyperTune Auto Repair in Joplin.
After his first trip to the White River in 2001 life changed. Most weekends were spent fishing the White River and the Norfork Rivers. Soon the shop was sold and he and his wife, Rhonda built Cedar Springs Country Inn bed and breakfast in Bull Shoals, AR in 2004.
He honed his skills and began guiding in 2007. He enjoys sharing his passion and knowledge with anglers of all skill levels from beginners to seasoned anglers alike. His stewardship and conservation interest led him to being president of the local Trout Unlimited chapter #698 in 2016 and 2017. He and his wife can be found fishing on the local rivers or fishing out west in their spare time, along with a winter trip to Pyramid Lake in Nevada chasing the massive Lahontan Cutthroat Trout.
Duane Bell
Alex comes to us from our neighbor to the East, Tennessee. Alex grew up in the Memphis area but has also spent time in and around Nashville. Alex helps run the day to day in the shop and has been a great asset. Alex is one of the "fishiest" guys we know and we are excited to have him on our team!
Alex Carr
