Just Fishin Guides
2309 Southeast 16th Street
Bentonville, AR 72712
kenric@tcac.net
www.justfishinguides.com
“My 1st Hyde was a 1995 Combo that saw a couple of thousand river miles and at least 10 times that many rocks. Our tailwaters in Arkansas can vary in flows from less than 100 cfs to over 24000 cfs, all in the same day. You get to be intimate with many of our sandstone and limestone rocks during low flows. Believe me they are not smooth like a freestone river; they’ll eat up a boat. The Hyde always took a licking and kept on ticking just like the old Timex ads. After 7 years I finally convinced myself to give up the old boat and get a new one. It wasn’t because anything was wrong with the old one, it would have probably gone at least another 7 years, it was vanity. I wanted a new one. I looked at several other brands of boats and the pricing was extremely close but I could not find any faults with the old Hyde so I got another one. I now have a 2003 low pro and I love it!”
– Ken RichardsJust Fisin’ Guides came about after a lifelong love of the outdoors. I happened to be lucky enough to be raised in a family that did all the outdoor stuff and instilled a respect for nature. I started fishing in Michigan at our cabin on the South Fork of the Au Sable River in Roscommon. My dad says he used to tie me to him and we?Ĵd fish out of the canoe before I was four. I started fly fishing when I was twelve, little poppin bugs for bluegills, with an old Montague cane rod that was handed down from my uncle and dad. I went to college to study fish and game management at Arkansas Tech.
After college I got interested in photography and for the last fifteen years have been in the photo business. As my family grew up, I started taking my son trout fishing on the White River below Beaver Dam and teaching him to fly fish. Travels all over the United States have given me a chance to fish from Washington, Michigan, Arkansas, New Mexico and even Mexico and Puerto Rico in the Caribbean. Fly fishing was becoming an obsession. After a trip to Wyoming with my son, it really hit me that I needed to be in the outdoors again. I then began building my guide business. With my background in nature and photography, I hope I can give you more than just a fishing trip.
And by the way, I still have and use that Montague rod. I’ve even bought another one!
Just Fishin Guides started in the summer of 1996 after purchasing my first Hyde in January. I wanted to row for a couple of months before taking out clients. We have a year-round guide service for trout and bass in N Arkansas and SW Missouri. We offer one price trips everything is included; all equipment, flies (most of which I tie), leader, tippet and if you are spin fishing and all lures. Also included are photos during your trip, drinks, snacks and a cooked shore lunch.
