Dave Kumlien is Montana Licensed Outfitter No. 281. He started guiding fly fishermen in the Bozeman area in 1975 as a guide for the Beaver Pond Sport Specialists, and in 1978, he opened the Wild Wings Orvis Shop, Bozeman's first fly fishing specialty shop and guide service.

In the mid-1980's, he changed the name of the shop to Montana Troutfitters and moved it to its current location at 1716 West Main Street in Bozeman. Dave ran Montana Troutfitters for 20 years and sold the shop in January 1998.

In 1995, he helped start the Whirling Disease Foundation, a Bozeman-based private nonprofit foundation that raises money for research into whirling disease, a parasitic infection of trout, salmon, and steelhead that is causing severe problems in many of our western rivers.

Dave was a founder and served as the first President of Montana's fishing outfitters organization, FOAM, and was appointed to the River Use Study Committee by Montana Gov. Tom Judge in 1980.

Dave is an active member of the Madison-Gallatin Chapter of Trout Unlimited, and in 2001, was selected as Conservationist of the Year by Outdoor Life Magazine for his work with the Whirling Disease Foundation.

Dave feels blessed to have a wonderful family and to have the opportunity to live and work in beautiful Bozeman, Montana, in the heart of the finest trout fishing in the world!