Chris Leonard has been living & teaching in Mammoth Lakes year round for over six years, and considers it home. His greatest passions are education and fly fishing, making him a great fly fishing guide. Leonard specializes in local Eastside moving waters.

When “Leonard” started his full-time job as an educator teaching English at Mammoth High School in 2004, he created the Mammoth Middle & High School Fly Fishing Clubs. Leonard learned how and where to fly fish in the Eastern Sierra with the local kids through the assistance of numerous respected local guides. His love of teaching makes it easy for him to transfer this knowledge and passion along to others, be it local children or visiting anglers. He is constantly uncovering for himself a backcountry stream with a couple wild trout in it, alongside his two yellow lab buddies: Bodie & Bruin.

Chris is extremely dedicated to the fishing world. Along with administering the local school clubs, he raises trout in his classroom through the Trout Unlimited TIC Program. Leonard is a lifetime TU & lifetime FFF member. He is also active with the Eastern Sierra Fishing Guides Association. During the summer months, he regularly submits fish reports to the local newspaper The Sheet about current fishing conditions. Pick up a copy when in town!

Leonard guides for Kittredge Sports during the summer months when he is not in the high school classroom, or on the slopes of Mammoth Mountain working under the capacity as a Mighty Mites alpine race development coach. His favorite fisheries to hit during the summer months are Hot Creek and The East Walker River. The “evening boil” of Caddis at both venues is awesome!

Chris really enjoys teaching people how to fly fish. He specializes under the umbrella of beginning fly fishing instruction upon moving waters, taking anglers to such waters as The Owens River, Hot Creek, and The East Walker, among others. Leonard can certainly put experienced anglers onto trout as well.

Chris has put numerous happy children and entire families onto their first trout with the fly for the first time, including his two young nephews (and number one fishing buddies) Shea and Matthew.