Industry Spotlight: Juan Ramirez

Many of us know him as Hopper Juan, his children know him as Dad, his wife knows him as a huge pain in the ass, and Montana Fly Company knows him as a cash cow.  Juan has been tying and fishing as long as he can remember and has perfected these skills to the point where he is considered by all, one of the best in the industry. Beyond his fly tying prowess, Juan carries himself as just an average Joe, but to those who truly know him, he's a lot more than that.  Soft spoken, congenial, and all around cool mo-fo can all be used to describe him as a person, and as a fly tyer, incredible is an understatement.  As a fellow fly tyer, I've had the opportunity to work with Juan and the noticeable distinction between he and most of industries finest tyers is that he is always willing to give away what is otherwise undisclosed.  Whether it's working with a new material, or another way to fashion it to the hook, Juan is always excited to share his skill set.  Granted, he always has his secret weapons stashed a little deeper in his boxes, but if asked, has always been willing to tip off those who show interest in learning a new technique or what to use in a certain situation.  If you haven't yet, and I doubt you haven't, check out his blog and see what I mean.