Show Notes
Boots Allen is a third-generation fly-fishing guide, tournament angler, writer, fly designer, and one of the longtime stewards of the rivers around Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Born and raised in the valley, Boots grew up immersed in a family whose name is woven into the history of fly fishing in the region. His grandfather, Leonard “Boots” Allen, was one of the early guides and outfitters in Jackson Hole, securing permits to guide the waters of the Greater Yellowstone area in the 1940s. His father, Joe Allen, continued that tradition and became known for his innovative fly patterns, including the famous Double Humpy.
Boots began guiding alongside his father and uncle while still in high school. More than three decades later, he has spent hundreds of days each year on the water, guiding throughout Wyoming and Idaho while pursuing trout and other species around the world. His travels have taken him from the Snake River to Argentina, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, British Columbia, Belize, the Bahamas, and beyond.
His accomplishments on the water are equally impressive. Boots is a three-time high-scoring guide in the Jackson Hole One-Fly Contest and received the prestigious Carmichael-Cohen Memorial Guide Award in 2007. He has also become a respected fly designer, developing patterns for Umpqua Feather Merchants and Orvis, while writing extensively about the sport. He is the author of four books, including Snake River Fly Fishing, Modern Trout Fishing, Snake River Flies, and Finding Trout in All Conditions.
Perhaps most interestingly, Boots once appeared headed toward a career in academia, earning advanced degrees and pursuing work in community development and tourism. Instead, he ultimately chose the river. Today, he continues the Allen family legacy while writing, teaching, guiding, creating flies, and sharing the knowledge accumulated through a lifetime on the water.
For Boots Allen, fishing isn't simply a profession passed down through three generations. It is a family history, a craft, and a way of life.
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