Rapid River Fly Fishing is owned and operated by Registered Maine Guide, Aldro French, who has more than 40 years of experience on the Rapid River. Over the years, French has developed professional working relationships with Maine's Fish & Wildlife Service, the Forest Service, Trout Unlimited, Rangeley Guides Association, Lake Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge, Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust, the Friends of Richardson, Save the Rapid Coalition, Casting for Recovery and in 2007 began sponsoring Project Healing Waters Fly-fishing, Inc. a volunteer program that serves disabled Veterans by introducing them to fly-fishing. Mr. French has also sponsored and helped develop a variety of educational and conservation programs to foster awareness and aid in the effort to preserve the Rapid River and the 110,000+ acres of conservation lands surrounding Forest Lodge.

French also serves as Fire Warden.

Presently, Aldro French is focusing his time and energy on the monumental task of setting up a program that will preserve his beloved Forest Lodge as a historic landmark for future generations to enjoy.  The Winter House and Forest Lodge have both been placed on the National Registry of Historic Sites.  In December 2005, a group of French's friends and associates calling themselves the Friends of Forest Lodge, began the lengthy process of forming a non-profit organization whose mission is to preserve, promote and protect this historic site ~ best known as 'Forest Lodge'.  The group plans to implement a strategy that will best preserve the memory of the former resident of Forest Lodge, Louise Dickinson Rich, who wrote the 1942 best-seller, We Took To The Woods, and to support the on-going efforts to protect the Rapid River.

Mr. French is also devoting his time establishing Forest Lodge as a premier destination for participants in "Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc."  French has sponsored the program at Forest Lodge since 2006.  He is working to raise funds that will go directly to help send disabled veterans and wounded warriors, not only to Forest Lodge, but to destinations throughout the United States, Mexico and Canada.