Picabo Angler Guides

Picabo Angler is proud to have one of the finest guide staffs in the state of Idaho. We employ a great group of experienced fly fishing guides who work together in order to bring you the perfect Sun Valley fly fishing experience. Our guides are well-versed instructors who intimately know our area and can both teach and put their guests in the best possible situations to successfully catch fish. Beginners and experts alike benefit from a guided trip with Picabo Angler. All of our fly fishing guides are patient, insightful and fun to be with.

Our guides are also passionate fishermen on their own time as well. Over the course of our winter and spring, when our local season slows, our guides have fished and/or hosted trips in Chile, Argentina, New Zealand, Honduras, Mexico, Bhutan, Belize, Bahamas, Cuba, Canada, Florida, Oregon, Wyoming, Montana, etc.

We are full-time guides, not part-time, and hope that our enthusiasm, local knowledge and teaching ability for fly fishing carries over to every day spent on the water with a Picabo Angler guest. The amount of time, measured in both years of experience and consecutive days on the water, gives us both the day-to-day pulse of our streams and a distinctive edge when it comes to deciding where to go and when to go on any given day. Our location, a mere couple hundred yards from Silver Creek, also plays a large part in keeping day-to-day events on the water in our back pockets.

Meet The Guides

R. Chad Chorney

R. Chad Chorney

General Manager and Guide

Chad is Picabo Angler’s General Manager and oversees the daily operation of the entire business. He has been a full-time fly-fishing, waterfowl hunting, and upland hunting guide, and is an accomplished freelance photographer and writer. Chad’s photos and articles have appeared in such publications as Northwest Fly Fishing, Eastern Fly Fishing, American Fly Fishing, Gray’s Sporting Journal, Anglers Journal, American Angler, Fly Fisherman, Fly Fishing and Tying Journal, TROUT, and Catch Magazine.

Fishing travel has become one of Chad’s passions, and each winter he spends several weeks hosting trips to Chilean Patagonia. Chad has fished extensively throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Belize, the Bahamas, Chile, and Argentina.

Chad’s love of wide-open spaces, clean water, and wild creatures has led to his involvement with conservation organizations such as Trout Unlimited, Ducks Unlimited, and the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust. In the past, he has spent some time working with Trout Unlimited and Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures.

Chad enjoys nothing more than greeting customers at Picabo Angler and helping anglers have the best experience fishing Silver Creek and other local waters.

An avid waterfowl and upland hunter, Chad lives with his two Springer Spaniels, Trico and Snook, not far from the banks of Silver Creek.

Nick Price

Nick Price

Senior Guide

Nick grew up in Santa Barbara, California and graduated from the University of Montana with a degree in English/Creative Writing.  He started his fly fishing career in Missoula, Montana in 1993 at the Grizzly Hackle and has been guiding full time in the Sun Valley area since 1997. Nick is one of the most sought after fly fishing guides in Sun Valley, Idaho and is often booked months in advance. Nick is also a photographer and his work has appeared in numerous publications including The FlyFish Journal, The Drake, Anglers Journal, Condé Nast Traveller, and others. To see his work, visit www.nickpricephotography.com He lives with his wife and two sons in Hailey, Idaho. Nick is Picabo Angler’s head guide.

Zac Mayhew

Zac Mayhew

Senior Guide

Zac Mayhew grew up in the Wood River Valley and began fly fishing this area as a child. He began guiding immediately after college and has been guiding the Sun Valley area and beyond for well over a decade. His good humor and the constant laughs coupled with a lifetime of local knowledge places Zac among one of the Sun Valley areas most sought-after guides. He is a full time, year around guide and when the season slows, he loves to travel to fish both domestically and internationally.

Cody Catherall

Cody Catherall

Senior Guide

Cody Catherall grew up in the Midwest, fly rod in hand. His passion struck at a young age and Cody was fishing tournaments and working in sports shops through middle school and high school. He moved West to attend college–he’s a graduate of the University of Oregon–and the Western rivers really did him in! From the trout waters of the West, Cody began pursuing species and places on the map with abandon. His drive to fish has made him comfortable in the fresh and saltwater environments, which has lead to Cody’s biggest passion; showing off his favorite Idaho waters. First time anglers and old pros will both find good humor, good will and great fishing with Cody as their guide.

Andrew Thomas

Andrew Thomas

Guide

Andrew started fly fishing the spring creeks and tailwaters of Southwest Virginia when he was a kid. He moved to Sun Valley in 2012 after graduating from Virginia Tech. He has been a guide for Picabo Angler for the last decade and is our lead oarsman. Andrew is an FFF Certified Casting Instructor. He excels on all of our area waters. Andrew is as comfortable showing the pros secret holes and hatches as he is teaching your entire family to cast on the lawn. He has a small family that includes two yellow labs, and if he’s not working with guests you can find he and his dogs out steelhead fishing or drifting a local river.

Christian Reid

Christian Reid

Guide

Christian Reid was born in Boise, Idaho and caught his first fish on a fly rod on the SF of the Boise river when he was 4. Michigan is where his passion for fly fishing really started even though his father was an avid fly fisherman his whole life. He moved from Michigan back to Idaho to pursue a career guiding on the rivers he grew up on. Christian is very laid back and really enjoys the teaching aspect of guiding, he is proficient in teaching all types of fly fishing but has a real passion for helping others target that fish of a lifetime. On his free time he is almost always fishing one of Idaho’s gorgeous rivers or tying flies for that next trip. Christian was featured in the winter issue of The Drake magazine.

Bryan Hostetler

Bryan Hostetler

Guide

Bryan was born and raised in the great fishing state of Oregon. He grew up in the small community of Hubbard and spent his childhood fishing and hunting in the Willamette Valley with friends and family. Bryan’s family was big into the outdoors and chose the wilds of Oregon to play and recreate. He mostly spent time targeting warm water species in local streams and ponds, but he also fished the coastal waters for native Salmon and Steelhead. He now resides in Bellevue, Idaho where he has become one of the state’s most sought after fly tiers by creating his own patterns that trout love! He spends his time on the amazing local waters, especially Silver Creek expanding his collection of fly patterns and guiding for Picabo Angler.

Joseph Evans

Joseph Evans

Guide

Joe is a product of the great fishing state of Florida, his family moved to Boise, Idaho in 2007. When he was about 12 years old, Joe found fly-fishing. The Boise River is responsible for his fly fishing addiction today. Attending the University of Montana allowed Joe to continue along this fishy path! While in school, his free time consisted of rowing rivers in his drift boat with friends. This also gave him the time to pursue another passion; practicing photography and videography. Joseph is a hardworking guide who has an energetic and outgoing personality. He is a passionate angler that puts in his time on the water so guests get the most from their day with him. He specifically likes the challenges fly fishing brings to the table, including all the little nuances of fishing flies. It is these details that teach patients to an angler and Joe will provide the guidance one needs to get to this quiet, confident place in the sport.

Bradley Funkhouser

Bradley Funkhouser

Guide

Bradley was born and raised in Boise and has a passion for wild places and wild fish. Bradley grew up fishing both conventionally and with a fly rod and embodies the outdoor lifestyle. He enjoys the challenges that fly fishing brings and loves to see his clients learn, adapt, and overcome them! During his spare time, Bradley can be found adventuring and finding fish in new places. He gets a kick out of fishing stillwater and finding trout in unlikely spots. Bradley is known for always having a smile on his face and keeping a positive outlook during all situations. Good vibes and handshakes with fishtails are what you will find with Bradley as your guide! 

Cole Hinnenkamp

Cole Hinnenkamp

Guide

Cole has been walking around the banks of Idaho waters with a fly rod since he was a young child. Hailing from the Boise area, Silver creek has always been a regular stop for Cole, and he loves sharing his passion and knowledge with others. Cole really enjoys teaching beginners the ins and outs of fly fishing and showing newcomers what the sport is all about, but he also loves getting down to business and hunting for big fish! Nevertheless, Cole’s number one priority is enjoying what nature has to offer and spending an unforgettable day on the water!

Jed Lyttle

Jed Lyttle

Guide

Jed Lyttle is a born and raised Idahoan from the Wood River Valley. Jed has been flyfishing the Sun Valley area waters for over 20 years. Growing up with a fly rod, he spent countless days on the rivers of Eastern Oregon and Central Idaho. He now lives in Hailey with his wife, infant son, his two dogs and two horses. In more recent years his passion for flyfishing has evolved into the saltwater arena and taken him on a path to many incredible fisheries like Belize, Cuba, Mexico, Honduras and more! He is equally as determined to put his clients on fish as he is making sure that they have fun doing it. Jed doesn’t really have an “off-season” as you can usually find him rowing his drift boat down a nearby river or chasing the ever-elusive Permit somewhere in the Caribbean. Time with Jed is time well spent on any of our area waters! 

Billy McMaster

Billy McMaster

Guide

Billy McMaster spent his 20’s and 30’s in the Wood River Valley, flyfishing and guiding for several outfitters, as well as guiding in Lake Iliamna, Alaska. His flyfishing experience spans well over 30 years and he is passionate about teaching and sharing his experience with others. One of Billy’s best attributes as a guide is his ability to help the novice fly fisherman transition to self-sufficiency on the water. A day on the water with Billy is sure to help the novice or experienced fly fisher reach new levels in their techniques. In addition to guiding, Billy had a long career as a Wildland Firefighter in Idaho and Montana. During the winters between fire seasons, Billy spent most of his time chasing saltwater species around the East Cape of the Baja Peninsula of Mexico. After a recent retirement from fighting fires, Billy has returned to guiding and looks forward to getting you on the water!