06/10/2026
The human element of fly fishing is often overlooked. Yet the relationships forged through time spent on the water can be some of the strongest and most enduring.
Our history traces back to the early days when John Simms and Tom Montgomery guided together for Jack Dennis Fishing Trips, now known as GTFF. It is an honor to be part of the legacy created by this iconic group of guides and inspiring men.
We extend our deepest condolences, and heartfelt sympathies to the Simms family, John's friends, and the angling community that he loved.
Tom remains a trusted friend, guide, and mentor to our team. He serves as a vital link between the legacy of those who came before us and the guides who will carry that tradition forward. Thank you, Tom, for sharing these reflections about John with us....
It’s hard to express the feeling of loss that accompanies John’s passing. He was my first and most important guiding mentor back in the late-seventies, and he remained the closest of close friends - and still always a mentor - for nearly a half century of shared good times on and off the water.
As a novice guide it didn’t take long to realize that John would always land the biggest and most fish, and somehow that never changed. For all of us young Snake River guides of that era, watching John row his 14 foot johnboat down the river was an education in elegance and rowing efficiency at a time when there were no guide schools. Back then, we learned simply by watching John at the oars.
John was a fine and true friend who showed me the watery world that became my life. Just two weeks before he died, I was lucky enough to make a final float with John from the Dam to Pacific Creek. Another old friend, AJ deRosa joined us with John’s daughters, Evan and Morrison following in a second boat. John made several casts that day, exclaiming with great delight after each cast, “Guess I’ve still got it!”
I miss John dearly, but he lives in all of us who knew him and share his love of rivers and the fish that live in them. With each stroke of the oars and every cast of the fly, he is there. Yep, John, you’ve still got it!
Rest in peace, dear friend.
Tom Montgomery
