Quality guides are the key to any successful outdoor adventure. Chip understands that.  He is a highly skilled outdoor enthusiast who is passionate about sharing the beauty and hot spots of the San Juan River.  Chip has an extensive résumé of guiding experience in Wyoming, Colorado and of course New Mexico.  After more than 11 years and thousands of hours in a drift boat his number one goal is to have a productive, relaxing and fun day on the river.  Chip is not only an excellent guide, he is also a kindergarten teacher.  This assures our clients that he has the patience and instructional skills to show them everything they need to know to catch fish.  Chip will not hesitate to tie on a dry or streamer to get you into fish and is a top wading guide on the San Juan.  Check out Chip on the You Tube clip on our home page.   Reading river conditions is one of Chip's biggest attributes.  A day on the river with Chip will be a great time.

Aaron Hyder

Aaron Hyder began fishing the San Juan when he was only 12 years old.  He now knows the San Juan as well as anyone and ranks as one of the river’s best guides.  Aaron has also spent part of his life guiding for a fly-in guide service in Togiak, Alaska.  During that time, he mastered numerous techniques for catching Alaskan salmon and enormous rainbow trout.  Aaron has successfully integrated many of those special techniques into fishing the San Juan River. Aaron truly believes that guiding is not just a job, but it is a way of life. He’s an excellent instructor and says, “There is nothing like teaching a beginner how to lay out a perfect cast to a rising trout or surprising an experienced angler with a new technique”.  Aaron has a great sense of humor and is an absolute blast to be around.  Aaron is not afraid to toss a dry fly, ant or terrestrial to hook fish.  You may see the San Juan differently after fishing with Aaron.   You will request this guy again.

 Bubba Smith

Bubba started fly fishing at the young age of 5 and became a professional guide at the age of 14.  Growing up in the holy land...Montana, Bubba grew up around some of the finest guides in the industry working for some of the most famous fly shops in North America.  He has fished most of the famous trout streams in the West and is a purist at heart.  Friends know that Bubba would just as soon be casting a bamboo rod from a wooden drift boat.  From a guide standpoint, Bubba has been guiding the San Juan for over 15 years.  He has met the famous Lefty Kreh and considers his friendship with him a huge influence.  Bubba also designs flies for Orvis and really enjoys working with kids, women anglers and beginners.  Fishing with Bubba will be an experience you will not forget.

 Brian Capsay

Brian Capsay has matched his fly fishing skills against the best anglers in the world.  He served as Team Leader of the USA Fly Fishing Team in the 2007 World Championships in Finland. Brian is also a recent winner of the North American Fly Fishing Classic.  Brian has also finished in the top 10 in both the 2004 ESPN Great Outdoor Games and the Field & Stream 2005 Total Outdoorsman Challenge.  Brian and his teammates walked away with the team gold medal at the first ever North American U.S. National Fly-Fishing Championships in 2006.  So, there is no doubt that you'll be fishing with one of the finest guides and anglers out there.  Brian is also the owner of the Caddis Company, a full service Orvis Fly Shop in Durango. As an FFF certified guide, Brian is extremely skilled at putting his clients on fish and has extensive knowledge of the San Juan and the Animas River in Durango. Aztec Anglers is proud to have the professional services of Brian.

Aztec Anglers also utilizes the services of the following Top Guides.

Mark Clark-Orvis Guide School and Full Time SJR Guide.

Jeremy Nolan-Full Time SJR Guide

Mark Nesbit-Navajo Lake Captain and SJR Guide

                      All our guides are CPR and First Aid Certified