John McClure
Nickname: Johnnie
Hometown: Cameron, Montana
Guides in: Southwest Montana
While you may know him as Kelly Galloup’s right hand man and head guide at the Slide Inn, John McClure deserves plenty of attention in his own right. Kelly introduced him to streamer fishing in Michigan when John was just 16 years old. After graduating from the University of Vermont, John tracked Kelly down in Montana, took a job working at the Slide Inn, lived in a tent behind the shop for the season, and never looked back. John enrolled in his own personal master class on the Madison River and fished it every single day for five seasons—before work, after work, and on his days off. From there, he’s become one of the most successful guides, innovative fly tyers, and brilliant streamer anglers in the Madison Valley. Johnnie has a unique talent for putting clients on the big rainbows and browns that make the Madison world famous. In addition to being a streamer savant, John is a thoughtful, humble, introspective angler with unflappable patience and a dry sense of humor.
Things About John
Guilty Pleasure Fly: Squirmy Worm in the dirt
Always brings: “Spare rod, spare oar, and 2 sets of drain plugs.”
Worst fishing snack: Olive loaf
Favorite knot: “Rapala Knot—keeps things swimming like nature intended”
Waders smell like: Fish
Tying your own flies... “Turns good anglers into great anglers. By creating your own flies and tweaking ones that are already successful, you can come up with patterns that fish aren't seeing from anyone else. That can be a huge advantage in fisheries that receive a lot of pressure like the Madison.”
Playing music in the boat is... “A surefire way to ensure you never have a seat in mine.”
Hopes to one day fish with: “A walker.”
Prefers: Moscow mules over GnTs, IPAs over PBRs, browns over rainbows, smallmouth over largemouth, carp over bonefish, tarpon over permit, redfish over jacks.
Connect with John
