FOAMLine, Vol. 35, No. 1, January 2026
IN THIS ISSUE:
FOAM Welcomes Two New Directors
2026 FOAM Annual Meeting!
2026 Guiding for the Future
Outfitter Endorsements on Guide License Renewals
Watercraft ID Stickers from FOAM
FOAM Welcomes Two New Directors to the Board
Congratulations to Ryan Barba and Peter Holman, our recently-elected FOAM region Directors. Ryan Barba will serve as the Director representing the Beaverhead/Big Hole region and Peter Holman will serve as the Guide-at-Large, East Director on the FOAM Board of Directors.
The FOAM Board of Directors is comprised of 10 directors, eight outfitter directors and two Guide-at-large directors — one from the east side of the divide and one from the west side of the divide.
Ryan Barba
Ryan Barba has a BA from the University of Montana and is co-owner of Sunrise Fly Shop in Melrose. Ryan has been outfitting in the Big Hole and Beaverhead region for over 20 years and has vast knowledge of these fisheries and resources throughout the state of Montana. He is a member of the Clackacraft and Winston Fly Rods Pro Staff teams. He has been an active member of FOAM for 20 years and is thrilled represent the Big Hole and Beaverhead. Passion for these rivers is what drives him to operate a sustainable business in Southwest Montana.
Outside of the work environment you will find him spending time with his wife and two boys. He enjoys coaching his son’s hockey team and chasing rising trout on our public lands with his family.
Peter Holman
Peter grew up in Montana, Cardwell/Whitehall area on a ranch. He graduated from Whitehall High School and attended Montana State University and received a degree in History. Upon graduation, he had a job offer in Washington DC for then Congressman Rick Hill and also a job offer from Mike Michalak at The Fly Shop in Redding California. Obviously, he choose fly fishing. He is now in his 27th year in the industry. He started guiding in 1999 in Alaska, then back in Montana and would travel back to Northern California in the late fall to guide. He has dedicated himself to the fly-fishing industry for my career in about every aspect.
Peter has his own sales rep agency carrying brands like Hardy/Greys, Marsh Wear, Pacific Fly Group and others. He also guides between 60-70 days a year on the Yellowstone, Gallatin, Jefferson, and very little anymore on the Madison. He brings a unique perspective to the board, from the Manufacturer/industry side and from a long-time guide side. He is also connected with political figures within the state and nationally through fishing, considering them friends, and friends of fly fishing, our rivers, and our stream access.
Welcome Ryan and Peter to the FOAM Board of Directors!
FOAM 2026 Annual Meeting!
The 2026 FOAM Annual Meeting will be Friday and Saturday, 6 and 7 March, 2026 at the Holiday Inn Downtown in Missoula.
As usual, Friday, 6 March, will be the FOAM Board of Directors meeting; all members are welcome.
The Holiday Inn Downtown will be providing us a great deal on rooms for the event. Saturday, March 7th, will be our 2026 Annual Meeting. The 2026 FOAM Annual Meeting will include speakers, vendors, raffles, beer, lunch, and snacks.
You must REGISTER to attend the 2026 FOAM Annual Meeting here: FOAM ANNUAL MEETING REGISTRATION. All registrants will receive free raffle tickets as part of their registration. This event is FREE, however, we want you to register so we know that you will be attending.
We’re very excited at this year’s raffle boat, a 2026 RioCraft Madison raft with a Montana Raft Frames raft trailer! Raft raffle tickets are available from your FOAM regional director with all proceeds going to help FOAM’s Conservation Fund and G4F.
Hope to see you there!
2026 Guiding for the Future!
The 2026 Guiding for the Future (G4F) course is set for March 10 through 12! The Fishing Outfitters Association of Montana’s (FOAM’s) advanced guide-training program. G4F is a voluntary course of study and evaluation to elevate the expertise and professionalism of fishing guides and outfitters.
The 2026 G4F program will again be taught online in a webinar-style presentation with the field-portions of the practicum will be taught hands-on through small in-person gatherings. Participants will be evaluated and tested on their knowledge and performance. Successful completion of this course will provide participating guides, outfitters, and fly shops with a set of credentials that will distinguish graduates to outfitters, clients, other river users, and agencies.
The 2026 G4F program will be held on the Bighorn River, March 10th through the 12th! The timeline for the 2026 class consists of:
Online course. Started this month, the class list will be merged into the online portal and open for you to begin this portion of the program. New students will have plenty of time to get this completed before the practicum in March.
January through March 2026. Complete the online courses prior to the March practicum.
March 10-12. The G4F practicum will be held in the on the Bighorn River.
Class size is limited. G4F student preference is given to individuals holding a valid Montana outfitter or guide license with at least three years’ guiding experience. To get on the waiting list for this year’s course, please fill out the application on the Guiding for the Future website.
The mission of G4F is to develop a dedicated stewardship of aquatic ecosystems while increasing knowledge, professionalism, and ethics of fishing guides, outfitters, and the fly-fishing industry throughout Montana. Led by FOAM and a Steering Committee comprised of representatives from the fly-fishing industry, aquatic conservation community, and other professions, this program serves as a new continuing education program for fishing guides in the state of Montana.
Hope to see you there!
Outfitter Endorsement Now Required for Guide License Renewals
During the 2025 Legislative Session, the Montana Legislature passed Senate Bill (SB) 183, impacting the Board of Outfitters. This law now requires that guides renewing their license must be endorsed and recommended by an outfitter with a valid license.
Beginning November 1st, 2025, all guides must have their application for renewal endorsed by a qualifying outfitter. Guides without endorsement from a qualifying outfitter will not be permitted to renew until a qualifying outfitter endorses their application for renewal. If the guide license is not renewed after two years, the license will be terminated.
Guides and endorsing outfitters should communicate with each other about this new process. Prior to the guide renewal period, all endorsing outfitters will receive an email reminding them to endorse the renewals of the guides they employ or contract with. For instructions on how to endorse guides through your public user account on our Citizen Portal, see the directions document.
Outfitters using the services of guides that will be renewing their license should log into their public user account on the Board of Outfitters’ Citizen Portal.
- Proceed to the “All Other Options” button at the bottom of their license page, and click the “Guide Approval Amendments” button and “Continue.”
- Under “Service of Process” answer all questions as “Yes” and “Continue.”
- Under “Guide Renewal Approval,” click “Add Row,” and for all the guides you are endorsing, list the Guide License Number, Guide Name, and whether or not you endorse them as “Approved.”
That’s it for outfitters. Outfitters will see a list of endorsed or approved guides on their citizen portal page. Guides renewing their license will receive an email stating that they were endorsed by a licensed outfitter and they may renew their guide license. Guides that are renewing their license, and have not been endorsed by a qualified outfitter, will need to work with their outfitter to receive an endorsement.
If you have any questions, please contact the Board of Outfitters at DLIBSDOUT@mt.gov or call (406) 841-2244.
FOAM Offers Members High-Quality Vinyl Watercraft ID Stickers
Last year the Montana Board of Outfitters changed the rule on Watercraft Identification for guides and outfitters. The Board, citing issues with material supplies and printing, removed themselves from providing Watercraft Identification stickers to licensed guides and outfitters. Instead, the Board now emails “to each licensee a pdf with the form of the Watercraft Identification tag to be used.”
We have seen all manner of this Board-issued pdf attached to licensee’s guide boats, from professionally-laminated Watercraft Identification tags to duct-taped printed copy paper attached to guide boats.
In light of this, FOAM has produced high-quality vinyl Watercraft Identification stickers available for use as your Watercraft Identification tag. Just legibly print in black your Guide or Outfitter License Number on this sticker and it will be your Watercraft Identification tag. We strongly recommend bringing this tag to Staples or a copy store and have them laminated after you enter your license number. Attach them to your boat using Velcro, that way they can be easily removed when not conducting guide trips or easily used on another watercraft, like a raft.
We have a limited number of Watercraft Identification stickers available free to FOAM members for the first set of two. If you need another set, they are available for $5.
Email mike@foam-mt.org with your address to get your set of Montana Board of Outfitters approved Watercraft Identification stickers. Make sure you enter “Watercraft Identification Stickers” in the subject line of your email. We will get them right out to you.
Official Watercraft Identification rules are available here.
