The Crew at Tight Lines would like to welcome you to our shop. As Northeastern Wisconsin’s largest fly shop, Tight Lines offers a wealth of knowledge and equipment. The shop contains one of the largest fly tying selections around as well as the largest tackle companies to choose from. Come and try a rod, learn a tying technique or chat with friends over a cup of coffee.We are here to serve your needs by offering years of combined fishing knowledge. Each of us has fallen in love with the grace of fly casting, the delicacy of fly tying, the exhilaration of catching fish and the peace of releasing them. Fly fishing is an art, a timeless traditional sport that allows us to experience the rhythms of nature. We want to share this experience in the hope that you find as much enjoyment in the pursuit as we have. Each of us hopes to meet you on the stream one day, until then, “Tight Lines to you.

Staff Bios

Tim and Sarah Landwehr- 

Tim and Sarah met in Big Sky, Montana while Tim was guiding on the fabled Madison, Gallatin & Yellowstone Rivers. A strong believer in “catch and release,” Tim decided to keep that summer’s best “catch” and brought Sarah, an Idaho native and outdoor enthusiast, to Wisconsin. Tim is a dedicated trout fisherman who instinctively knows where to find fish. Tim is a beautiful caster whose passion for the sport shows through in his fishing, tying, teaching and story telling. Tim has been featured on ESPN Outdoors, OLN, Outdoor adventures, Hyde pro-staff member and Hosts Midwest Sportsman. Tim still guides a lot of days and works at the shop.

Sarah was introduced to the sport of fly fishing by Tim while in Montana. Since that time, Tim has found that Sarah loves to trout fish and would drive anywhere in search of beautiful trout water. Once on the stream she often splits her time pursuing fish and taking pictures, always attempting to capture the perfect shot. Sarah looks forward to the winter months when she can be standing on the pointy end of a skiff casting to bonefish.

Bart Landwehr-

Bart is our senior guide as well as a genuine fishing bum. Not many people can say they put over 30, 000 miles per year on their cars driving to fishing spots. Bart can. Having guided anglers in WI, MT, and Colorado, Bart puts years of experience to work for his clients. A wonderful caster and fly tier known for his patience, Bart is an excellent fishing resource. He knows the entomology, the water, the fish and the directions! Bart is a trout fisherman first and foremost, but spends his late summer months chasing giant small mouth bass in his drift boat. Bart truly is one of the busiest Smallmouth bass guides in the country. This is for good reason, he spends more hours on the river and understands the fish better than most. Bart has been seen on ESPN Outdoors, OLN as well as in many fly fishing publications.

Charlie Piette-Shop Manager 

Charlie has become a fixture at Tight Lines over the last several years. He recently finished his Master’s of Environmental Science at UWGB, despite the fact that he may be destined for a life in the fly fishing industry. Charlie is passionate about fly fishing, to say the very least. He is a “trout guy” at heart, but fishes for virtually everything that swims. Stop in the shop and see Charlie if you are looking for tying advice, need help selecting the proper equipment, or want a ridiculously strong cup of coffee. Where ever your fly fishing adventures may take you, let Charlie assist you in our shop so that you can be more successful on the water.

Nelson Ham-

An excellent fly tier, fisherman, and one of the shops close friends, Nelson Ham Joined the Tight Lines Guide staff in 2004. A geology professor at St. Norbert college, Nelson was finally coaxed into guiding by Tim and Bart. Knowing his skills as an angler, unfailing patience, and the unique geologic perspective he can bring to the boat, Nelson was a no-brainer when it came time to hire guides. Whether it be helping anglers perfect their presentation, utilizing his vast knowledge of tying materials and tying to explain flies, or just making small talk in between explosive strikes, booking Nelson will not be a disappointment. Nelson’s creative flies and unique river perspective have been featured in his article “ACHIGAN” in the summer 2006 issue of FISH AND FLY magazine or check out his company on line-Bronze back flyworks.

Nate Sipple-

Tight Lines Guide Nate Sipple comes to us from West- Central Wisconsin, having grown up on arguably some of the best trout waters in the state.  Living on the upper Kinnickinnic, he’s had a fly rod in his hand since the age of twelve.  A true explorer, Nate loves spending time on new waters, using a new technique, or experimenting with fly patterns.  Trout, smallmouth, and especially pike and musky are what drives Nate to stay out late and wake up early.  Click to check out Nate’s Blog-Meandering Trickle

Hunter Dorn-

Kim McCarthy-

Kim comes to Tight Lines after retiring from a career as a middle school science teacher. His love for fly fishing developed in his early 20s when he and a couple of buddies took a “road trip”to Montana. A local fly shop suggested that the guys get into Yellowstone and explore the Slough Creek area of the Park. Thirty-eight years later Kim is still exploring that part of Yellowstone each year. In addition to Yellowstone, Kim has fished widely throughout the mountain west. Favorite streams are many, but most share the same wilderness theme. Fishing the back country by hiking or horseback along with his wife Jeanne developed into a passion that continues to this day. The last many years Kim has enjoyed hundreds of days during the early part of the fishing year on the Southwestern Wisconsin spring creeks. Through the hard work of the DNR and Trout Unlimited this fishery just keeps getting better. At times our own spring creeks can match the quality of many western creeks. Kim spends more time on the spring creeks than most anyone I know. He will be more than happy to assist customers headed to that area. Kim is a valuable member of the Tight Lines Team and looks forward to expanding his own knowledge of fly fishing and passing along what he has learned to Tight Lines customers.

Jim Hauer-

Retired from engineering and teaching, Jim has been fly fishing for many years and has an extensive background fishing for both cold and warm water species.  Jim loves making trips to his favorite waters in the northwoods of Wisconsin, Minnesota, the U.P. and Ozarks Mountains.  He enjoys sharing fishing and tying information with the Tight Lines customers.  Besides helping out in the shop, Jim also is an owner of BlueSky Flyfishers,  designs and manufacturers of hand-woven furled tapered leaders, selling his designs worldwide.  In his spare time, Mr. Hauer is an accomplished wooden boat builder, interested in craft for fishing lakes and rivers.  Jim’s passions: big smallmouth, wood fishing boats and back roads.