Montana Adventure - Update 3
Hi there, We are excited to share the latest from the trip, and there is a lot to tell. Yesterday we wrapped up our time in the backcountry with a big hike out. It was a tough one, with heavy packs and plenty of elevation to cover, but every single person on this trip persevered and pushed through to the end. There is nothing quite like that feeling of stepping out of the wilderness after days of...
Yellowstone Adventure II - Update 5
Howdy! What a fantastic trip this has been! The last few days have been action-packed and memory-filled. We wrapped up by fishing the Lamar Valley one final time, finding a bunch of huge Yellowstone Cutthroat stacked in a deep pool – an incredible goodbye to such a marvelous species. Then, with the float team promising epic fishing, we headed to the Yellowstone River for our full day and a half of...
Colorado Adventure II - Update 1
Hello Lillard Fly Fishing Expedition Families, Our Colorado Adventure II is officially underway! Today campers traveled in from all over the country, arriving in Colorado full of excitement and ready for an unforgettable week in the Rockies. It's always amazing to watch a group of kids who were complete strangers just a few hours earlier begin forming friendships over a shared passion for fly...
Yellowstone Expedition I - Update 4
Hello all, It's hard to believe it, but tomorrow we have to say goodbye. This trip has flown by and we are so grateful to have spent it with such an amazing squad! For the past two days, our trip floated the Yellowstone River. From our final backcountry, we drove north out of the park and down the Paradise Valley. The floats were super fun and in total we covered almost 20 river miles! We spent...
Montana Adventure - Update 2
Greetings from the Bob Marshall backcountry!! We have spent the past couple of days in some of the most beautiful terrain one can find in Montana. The past two days we have stayed on the banks of the lower Sun River, preparing our gear, dialing in our fishing skills, and basking in the sun. The Bob Marshall Wilderness has a way of making you feel incredibly small and incredibly lucky at the same...
Yellowstone Adventure II - Update 4
Howdy from the Yellowstone Adventure 2 crew! We just completed our Slough backcountry and had an incredible time! After splitting the group in half, we sent one group to the backcountry first, while the other stayed in the front country to fish around the Lamar Valley. Both groups had a great time and found some amazing native Yellowstone Cutthroat. Living up to its reputation, Slough presented...
Bob Marhsall Adventure II - Update 5
Hello Everyone, This is our final correspondence from Montana! After dropping everyone off at the airport, I have had some time to reflect on the trip we just completed. It is hard to believe it has already come to an end. I couldn't have asked for a better trip or a better group of guys to do it with. I will never forget the memories made on this journey — floating incredible rivers, backpacking...
Colorado Expedition - Update 4
Hey families, It's hard to believe we're writing our final trip update already. The past couple of weeks have been packed with long days, early mornings, incredible scenery, and plenty of laughs. While everyone is definitely excited to get home, sleep in their own beds, and see family and friends again, it's safe to say this group made the most of every day we had together. Watching the boys grow...
Yellowstone Expedition I - Update 3
Hello all! Today our groups wrapped up their time alternating between Slough Creek backcountry and the Lamar Valley. In Slough, we fished the second and third meadows hard. We all got to spend one night in the first meadow and another in the third meadow. The hike into Slough is picture perfect. Distant mountains, tall stands of timber, and vibrant wildflowers provided awe-inspiring views for our...
Montana Adventure - Update 1
We are officially off and running, and we could not be more excited. Boys have come in from all over the country, and watching this group come together in the airport was something special right from the start. Fish stories were already being swapped before we even hit the road, friendships were forming fast, and the energy this group is bringing is exactly the kind that makes a trip like this one...
Bob Marhsall Adventure II - Update 4
Hello all, After getting out of our long backcountry we found a beautiful campsite overlooking the Sun River. We camped beneath the towering rock formations in the area and had an early bedtime, exhausted from the long day of fishing and hiking. The next morning we treated ourselves to a long awaited sleep-in and began the drive to town to complete showers and laundry. This was our first...
Mass Bass Adventure - Update 4
Hi families! We are continuing to have a blast on this trip, and have so many fun memories to catch y'all up on! Day 6: Today, we battled through the heavy rainfall we experienced earlier in the evening, and despite waking up wet, the crew managed to pack up camp in high spirits (a yummy breakfast helps) throughout the rain and prepare to head to our next campsite. We had a blast on the Cape, and...
Yellowstone Adventure II - Update 3
Howdy! After some great practice around West Yellowstone, we headed into the backcountry with the hope of finding some massive cutthroat trout and grayling around Grebe, Ice, and Cascade Lakes. The hiking and hard work was worth it, and the backcountry was a smashing success! We caught so many huge fish that we started to lose count — and the smiles on the water told the whole story. We also saw...
Montana Expedition II - Update 4
Hi families, And just like that, we're at the end — and what an end it has been. After an incredible stretch in the backcountry, we came out of the wilderness and straight into one of the best Fourth of July celebrations we could have imagined. Our float down the Yellowstone was nothing short of epic. The fish were everywhere — we lost count somewhere along the way and honestly stopped trying —...
Mass Bass Adventure - Update 3
Hi families! What an awesome few days it's been! We've done a lot -- catch up with our adventures below... Day 3: "The Fourth" — Today the crew woke up with an immense amount of American spirit and energy to celebrate the birth of our nation! We got the day started with a very delicious breakfast consisting of sausage and eggs before making our way into the van. Our goal was to find some colder...
Colorado Expedition - Update 3
Hello everyone! The past several days have been packed with adventure, hard work, and some incredible fishing as we wrapped up one backcountry experience and jumped right into another. The group continues to impress us with their positive attitudes, willingness to take on challenges, and the friendships that are forming more each day. From giving back to Rocky Mountain National Park through our...
Bob Marhsall Adventure II - Update 2
Hello families, We have officially made it out of the incredible Bob Marshall Wilderness after an unforgettable three-day backpacking adventure on the South Fork of the Sun River. Over the course of the trip, we hiked more than 20 miles through some of the most spectacular scenery in the country and caught dozens upon dozens of eager native cutthroat trout. Between the incredible fishing...
Yellowstone Adventure II - Update 2
Hey families, Hello from Yellowstone! Today we are celebrating this country's 250th birthday — and what better way to do it than in the first ever national park. We traded fireworks for a visit to Old Faithful and we'll gear up tonight for our first backcountry tomorrow after spending the rest of the day sightseeing and fishing at Ice Lake! Yesterday was our first day of fishing, and it served as...
Mass Bass Adventure - Update 2
Greetings from Western CT! Day 2: Our first day on the water was impeccable, and we couldn't be more thrilled with this group and the start of the trip! We managed to land over 100 smallmouth bass today, with everyone contributing their fair share to that number. After a restful night following an exhausting travel day, the boys woke up with an immense amount of energy ready to hit the water. We...
Montana Expedition II - Update 3
Greetings from Big Sky Country, We've made our triumphant return from the backcountry, and the boys brought every bit of the wilderness back with them in their grins. Our final days at Heart Lake were nothing short of legendary. The fishing was absolutely on fire! Everyone in the group caught fish, and we mean everyone, with some genuinely impressive cutthroat and arctic grayling coming to hand...
Yellowstone Expedition I - Update 2
Greetings from Bridge Bay — the trip has been going great and we are pumped for more! Our trip started off with a quick change of plans. Some considerable rain hit the park and we pivoted from the Bechler backcountry to Grebe and Cascade Lake. The rivers got a little high, and heading to the lakes turned out to be exactly the right call. Our group split up into two groups of six. One group hiked...
Yellowstone Adventure II - Update 1
Hello from the Yellowstone Adventure crew! The whole gang has touched down in Montana, where blue skies and 76-degree weather made for a perfect welcome. While we waited for the last few arrivals, the boys wasted no time swapping fishing stories from back home and talking through everything they're hoping to experience in Yellowstone. We have a lot of first-time Lillard campers in this group, and...
Mass Bass Adventure - Update 1
Hi families! Airport day was a success! After a long day of travel, the boys arrived safely and quickly began connecting and getting to know each other. Time in the airport flew by, and after picking up our last arrival, we headed to the van! Before we tell you more, let us introduce ourselves! (From left to right) Hi all — I'm Gavin McMeekan! I grew up in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, where I developed a...
Bob Marhsall Adventure II - Update 1
Greetings from our basecamp on the edge of the Bob Marshall Wilderness! We had a fantastic first day meeting all of the boys, and we couldn't be happier with this group. Airport pickups went smoothly, and after everyone arrived, we headed into Missoula for lunch and a visit to a local fly shop to get excited for the week ahead. Arrival day is always one of our favorites. It's rewarding to watch...
Colorado Expedition - Update 2
Hello there! The first several days of our Rocky Mountain Expedition have been nothing short of incredible. The campers have already experienced amazing fishing, breathtaking scenery, challenging hikes, and unforgettable moments that will stay with them for years to come. Our adventure began at Lake Granby, where everyone settled into camp before heading over to Willow Creek for an evening of...
Montana Expedition II - Update 2
Hey Families! The Guides and the Guys checking in with a wet and wonderful update from base camp! We'll be honest — Mother Nature has not been playing nice. The past couple of days have brought some seriously unruly weather, with rain that just doesn't seem to want to quit. But here's the thing: your boys have been absolutely remarkable. We're talking minimal complaints, positive attitudes, and a...
Yellowstone Expedition I - Update 1
Greetings from our basecamp in Ennis, Montana! Today was our arrival day and everything went smoothly and according to plan. We picked up all of our campers from Bozeman airport and drove to the beautiful Madison River valley. Driving along the world-famous Madison River always gets us pumped for some fishing. Before telling you more about what's ahead, let us quickly introduce ourselves. (Fro...
Spanish Pyrenees Expedition - Update 4
Buenas Días Families! It is hard to believe that we have reached our final trip update. The last two weeks have flown by, and what an incredible journey it has been. Watching this group grow from a collection of anglers from across the United States into a tight-knit group of friends has been one of the most rewarding parts of the expedition. As guides, there is nothing better than seeing the...
Yellowstone Adventure I - Update 4
Howdy y'all! We are wrapping up an incredible Yellowstone Adventure filled with so many amazing stories, big fish, great food, and breathtaking scenery! Our final days have been spent fishing some truly legendary waters in and around Yellowstone. After hiking out of Slough Creek, we spent a couple of nights at Crazy Creek just outside of the Northeast Entrance, which allowed for easy access to...
Berkshire to Beaches - Update 4
Hi families, It's sad to write this last update -- this trip has been phenomenal. This group of boys has real drive, an awesome attitude, loves to eat, laugh, and fish. We'll miss them! Read about our last few days below. Day 9: We woke up bright and early excited for an action packed full day on the flats! The group enjoyed sausage egg and cheese sandwiches on english muffins, and loaded up on...
