Rooster laughing
Photo of Rooster Leavens with the Kayapo tribe in Brazil
Rooster holding a brown trout

Rooster Leavens

Owner & Head Guide

Dan “Rooster” Leavens. One of the unofficial executives of the “defective gene club”, with a persona larger than life. Rooster wakes up every day afraid of boredom more than death, and I believe that has led him to where he is today. Nobody leaves a more lasting impression and has more fun with his guests than the Head Honcho himself. His early career in the Coast Guard took him away from New England and put him on the pacific coast, where he addicted himself to chasing steelhead. After years of guiding in Washington and Alaska, he fell in love with a little fly shop in the middle of bum-f*ck somewhere Montana. Fast forward a few short years and The Stonefly was born. Common summer pastimes include rowing secluded rivers in SW Montana, chasing boys away from his daughters, bossing the shop kid around, and keeping tabs on “The Roost” in his short shorts and flip flops. Off season activities consist of outpacing his bird dogs, bugling in the next bull with his girls, and shooting hot tequila after landing the latest palometa. As he has always said, “If I can’t fish for it, hunt for it, or dance with it – I generally don’t mess with it.”


  • Nickname:  Rooster
  • Favorite Fish: The next one
  • Favorite River: The Beaverhead
  • Special Skill: Mildly offensive jokes