Advanced Training for Professional Fishing Guides & Outfitters
Guiding for the Future (G4F) is a continuing education and certification program built for working fishing guides and outfitters who want to go beyond the basics. Through a blend of online coursework and an in-person field practicum, participants deepen their knowledge of fisheries science, water rights, conservation, aquatic stewardship, and client safety, earning credentials that set them apart on the water and in the industry.
“This course increased and improved my general knowledge of the key issues in my profession and gave me a better understanding of the landscape in which I work.”
Spring 2019 Cohort
2019 Course Attendee
Core Values and Objectives:
Knowledge
Provide our graduates with a strong core competence around the history, regulation, ethics, hydrology, biology, hydrology, and management. Our curriculum offers a depth of knowledge around pertinent issues, qualifying it as a valuable credential for outfitters and guides.
Professionalism
Help hone a cadre of more adept and skillful guides while seeking to provide tangible benefits for participating guides (e.g., more trips and better business dealings).
Ethics
Improve communications among fishing guides, the fly fishing industry, management agencies, landowners, and other river stakeholders for increased cooperation, reduced conflict, and improved fisheries.
Stewardship
Create a corps of engaged fishing guides who 1) are advocates and stewards of rivers and aquatic systems, 2) routinely participate in monitoring and assessment efforts, and 3) engage their clients and fellow citizens in the same.
About the Fishing Outfitters Association of Montana
With more than 1,000 members, FOAM has been Montana’s primary resource for professional guides and outfitters since 1978. FOAM’s mission is threefold: to protect and conserve Montana’s aquatic resources; to promote and maintain Montana’s fishing outfitting industry; and, to work with individuals, groups, and agencies in all manners of administration and regulation affecting our fisheries and our fishing industry.