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Colorado Expedition - Update 2

Hello! The Rocky Mountain Expedition just finished our first backcountry, and it was an epic one! Most of the kids have already caught brook trout, browns, rainbows, cutthroat, and even a few cutbows. Now we are taking a couple days to rest and fish near Granby before heading back into the backcountry. This group has been a blast and I am excited to see what the rest of the trip has in store for...

Montana Road Trip Expedition II Update 2

Hello! For the first day of fishing, the group made the drive up to the upper Madison to wade the famous salmon fly hatch. The bugs were everywhere and the kids couldn’t believe how big they were. The big fish were out to play and there was a bit of a learning curve as the current was fast. Nevertheless, the group managed to land some very nice fish. We returned to base camp, ate a great dinner...

Yellowstone Custom Trip Update 2

The Yellowstone Custom Adventure is off to a fantastic start! The last time you heard from us we had just finished packing up for our first backcountry. The following morning we got up early, packed up our camp, and hit the road. We arrived at the trailhead by 9am and got to hiking. The boys made quick work of it, and we made it to our first campsite with no breaks and an exciting bison sighting...

Montana Road Trip Expedition II Update I

Hello from Ennis, Montana! Yesterday we scooped everyone from the Bozeman airport before commencing the hour-long drive between the Gallatin and Big Sky Mountain Ranges through the Madison River Valley here to our base camp a few minutes outside of Ennis. This river -- the Madison -- is arguably the most famous trout river in the continental U.S., boasting tens of millions of trout within its...

Yellowstone Custom Trip Update I

Greetings from beautiful Ennis, Montana! This morning we gathered everyone here in Ennis, the trout capital of North America. Situated between the Gallatin and Big Sky Mountain Ranges, these breathtaking views are giving everyone an early feel for the proud landscape of the American West in which we will soon be immersed. We will return here to the Madison River Valley near the end of our trip...

Yellowstone Adventure I 2023 Update I

Greetings from beautiful Ennis, Montana! We are Shane, Hunt, and Jacob- the trip leaders for this Yellowstone Adventure. This afternoon we gathered everyone from the Bozeman airport in a rather quick fashion, beginning the hour-long drive along the Madison River on the way to our base camp here in Ennis, the trout capital of North America. Situated between the Gallatin and Big Sky Mountain Ranges...

Colorado Expedition - Update 1

Hello from Colorado! This is Jack, Remi, & Max - the guides for the Colorado Expedition. The first day of our trip was mostly consumed by travel - meeting everyone at the airport, collecting bags, loading up and heading west. It's always fun meeting everyone, but we're always anxious to get out of the airport and get the trip started. Once we were all together, we piled in the van and headed...

Yellowstone Expedition 1 - Update 1

Hello! Our names are Ed, Cole, and Burke. We are the trip leaders for your kid’s Yellowstone Expedition. Today was the travel day. Thank you for communicating the travel details. Everyone arrived safe and sound! After most all of the group arrived (still waiting on one!), either by plane or car, we had an intro session at basecamp in Ennis and divided the first tent groups. We showed the guys how...

Colorado Adventure I - update 3

Hi families, The ending to the Colorado Adventure I has been very exciting! We have finally made it to Silverthorne and have caught tons of fish since leaving Denver. Today, the kids put their fishing skills to the test on their float; many kids landed both browns and rainbows on the Colorado River. Looking back a few days, after exiting the backcountry, we fished the tailwater section of the...

Mass Bass Update III

Greetings from Winter Island Campground here on the North Shore of Massachusetts! As is the case with all good things, our trip is coming to an end. It's been a great time, and we are having fun recounting stories and continuing the friendships that were quick-made over the past week. We left off three days ago right before this chapter of our trip out on the salt flats of Cape Cod. The past few...

Montana Road Trip EXI Update III

Dear Parents, We hope this update finds everyone well! Following the kids’ return from the Missouri River, which we absolutely crushed, we set out on the Madison once again. With some more experience under their belts and some more bugs on the water, the kids caught their fair share of Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, and the occasional Whitefish. It's been great seeing everyone grow more and more...

Thorofare - update

Hi all, We made it! After more than 200 18+ inch cutthroat, over 50 miles of muddy trail, and more laughs than we count, the Thorofare Expedition is back in the front country! As we sit in Jackson Hole, everyone is feeling pretty beat up, but countless personal best cutthroat and breathtaking views made it well worth it: we can all confidently say this is a trip we will never forget. With all...

Colarado Adventure I - update 2

Hi all! Despite the high water conditions, the Colorado Adventure is off to a great start! From the airport, we headed into Rocky Mountain National Park and had our fly fishing seminar. We went over casting, knot tying, some flies, and basics on how to read water. The kids took their skills to the nearby Colorado River headwaters in the Kawuneeche Valley where the group was able to catch a few...

Maine to Mass Expedition - update 3

Hi all! For the final section of the trip, the group has been fishing in the beautiful region of cape cod. We stayed in Nickerson State Park on the banks of the kettle ponds formed by glaciers millions of years ago when the cape was formed. Our main target fish here were the striped bass that live in the crystal clear water of the sand flats on the cape. The fish follow the tides and the window in...

Mass Bass Update II

Greetings from Nickerson State Park, here in beautiful Cape Cod, Massachusetts! Today we wrapped up the first portion of our trip in the Berkshires fishing the Housatonic River for Northern Pike and several different species of bass. Our boys had a great time wading two different sections of the river and floating another, all while learning the basics of fly fishing for warm water fish species...

Montana Road Trip Expedition - Update 2

Hey everyone! The Montana Road trip is flying by! It's hard to believe we're about halfway through the trip; fortunately, we still have some great fishing to look forward to. The group is getting along great, having gotten to know each other a little bit and settled into the flow of the trip, we feel like we're firing on all cylinders. We had a couple great days on the Madison - the guys all got...

Rocky Mountain Adventure Update I

Greetings from Rocky Mountain National Park here in colorful Colorado! After scooping up everyone from the airport today, we began our drive through the Front Range of the Rockies toward the Park, enjoying the views along the way. We got to camp and got some of the basics out of the way – knot tying, casting practice, and some of the other basics of fly fishing – before some yummy burgers and what...

Ascension Bay Expedition 23 Recap

Hola from Punta Allen! We have been impressed with the kids skill and determination through the trip. Over the past few days the kids have had dozens of shots casting to the elusive permit and have not given up targeting them. In the mean time the group has landed many more bonefish and some even landed more massive migratory tarpon. Some boats opted for catching large snappers and barracuda from...

Maine to Mass Expedition Update

Dear Parents, Greetings from Nickerson State Park! Today we wrapped up the portion of our trip in the Berkshires floating the Housatonic River for Northern Pike and several different species of bass. The crew had a blast floating two different sections of the river while learning the basics of fly fishing from a canoe (a new experience for most). After our drive from the Berkshires to Cape Cod, we...

Mass Bass Adventure 23 Update 1

Dear Parents, Greetings from the Mass Bass Adventure. The crew arrived in Boston earlier today and made it to the campsite in time for some for some delicious burgers. Hopes are high with thoughts of angry smallmouth and hungry trout. Tomorrow, we kick off the fishing on the Housatonic River right by camp. The river has been low for the past few weeks, but recent rains have brought opportunities...

Thorofare Expedition Arrival Update

Dear parents, Arrival day went by without a hitch, with some spare time to take a short drive to the picturesque mountain town of Jackson, Wyoming. After settling in at the Gros Ventre campsite, the group enjoyed pizza and a few games of ultimate frisbee. Today we drove back into Jackson to get any last-minute flies, snacks, or clothes we might need for the week ahead. In the afternoon, we...

Montana Road Trip Expedition I Update 23

Dear Parents, Greetings from the Montana Road Trip Expedition. After a smooth arrival day at the airport, we made our way to the LFFE base camp just outside the fly fishing Mecca, Ennis. After getting settled in, we took turns cooking up some personal pizzas in our pizza oven. Dinner wrapped up just in time for a quick walk to the top of the property to take in the first of many Montana big sky...

Maine to Mass Expedition - update 2

Hello from Housatonic Meadows State Park in the beautiful Berkshires! This morning we gathered our things and departed from the historic Lakewood Camps before beginning our longest drive of the trip, one filled with music, conversation, and anticipation for the fun that lies ahead. We now sit around a fire, enjoying some pasta and meat sauce while enjoying the exceedingly rare comfort of having...

Ascension Bay - update 2

The Ascension Bay Expedition has been very successful in the first half of our trip. We have fished hard the last three days, and we will be back out there tomorrow, followed by our service project day on Thursday. To this point, everyone has caught lots of fish, a few of us landing very large tarpon (60-100lbs)! We still have two more days of fishing with the guides, so hopefully we're able to...

Maine to Mass Expedition - update 1

Greetings and welcome to the blog for the 2023 Maine to Massachusetts trip! We're writing from Aziscoos Valley Campground on the border of Maine and New Hampshire, just a few miles from Canada, and on the banks of the mighty Magalloway river. The Magalloway is famous among Mainers for its population of Brook trout, landlocked salmon, and scenery and the boys are excited to take advantage. Despite...

Ascension Bay - update 1

The new Ascension Bay Lillard group touched down in Mexico around midday to a bright sun and a crowd of eager smiling faces. Our private shuttles arranged travel from Cancun to our destination of the small town of Punta Allen. The journey from Cancun to Punta Allen is not easy, but well worth it. Along the way, we passed through palm tree groves and sandy coastlines covered in bright, white sand...

2022 Louisiana Redfish Expedition

Planning saltwater trips months in advance is always a gamble. You can pick dates during historically better fishing months, but mother nature always has the final say. Sometimes the wind blows for days. Sometimes the rain comes down in sheets. Sometimes it's too hot, others it's too cold. If you go on enough fly fishing trips, it is inevitable. Eventually, a guide will tell you, "you should have...

2023 Returning Student Discount

We value our returning families more than we can express. Therefore, we are happy to provide them with a returning student discount. The returning student discount will be applied to the final invoice as follows: Any participants who are returning for their second summer adventure/expedition receive a $100 discount. Participants joining us for their third summer adventure/expedition will receive a...

Yellowstone Expedition Update

Hello from Ennis! Our group has just exited our final round of backcountries and the final days of the trip approach us. Before our round of backcountries, we fished some new water, including rivers and lakes containing Arctic Grayling and Westslope Cutthroat on the western edge of the park. In the evening, we huddled around cozy fires for evening feats and smores after lingering thunderstorms...

Yellowstone Expedition Update

Hello from the Madison River campground, Our group has been to some of the most famous places the past week to wet a line in Yellowstone National Park! Including the upper Yellowstone River, Gibbon River, Slough Creek, and the Yellowstone River in the spectacular Grand Canyon. Upon the arrival at the LFFE headquarters in Ennis, MT, we traveled to the Gibbon River to target native Arctic Grayling...

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Lillard Fly Fishing Expeditions was started in 2010 as a graduate thesis for my Master's Degree in Environmental Conservation Education at NYU. The operating premise was simple - by coupling amazing wilderness fly fishing camps for teens with environmental education and service learning we can help inspire future generations of fly fishing conservationists. We have been growing our unique list of trips and experiences ever since.

When it comes to choosing a summer program for your teen the options are endless. For the teen who loves to fish, be outside, and has a strong sense of adventure we have made the choice easy. We are the leader in teen fly fishing adventures and are dedicated to providing the best backcountry fly fishing experience with opportunities for teens to engage in leadership training, community service, and backcountry camping.

Sincerely,

Will Lillard signature

Will Lillard, Founder/Director/Guide

Contact Us

[email protected]

Lillard Fly Fishing Expeditions
2540 King Road
Pisgah Forest, NC 28768

(828) 577-8204