The LFFE Blog

Filter By Program

Montana Road Trip Expedition II - Update 1

Hi families! The Montana Road Trip Expedition is off to the races! After gathering everybody at the Bozeman airport, we hopped in the van and zipped down to our basecamp in Ennis. The 41 mile drive takes you southwest out of Bozeman and into the Madison Valley, the world famous Madison river flows through Ennis along with a number of other pristine trout streams making the fishing never far from...

Colorado Rocky Mountain Expedition - update 1

Greetings from Colorado, Our Colorado Rocky Mountain Expedition is officially underway! This morning seven different high schoolers woke up across different parts of the US and all rallied for one purpose: to connect with our fly fishing team to start making memories for a wonderful summer. We have kids from Miami, New York, Massachusetts, Colorado, Chicago, and California bringing geographic...

Yellowstone Adventure I - Update 1

Hi families! The guide team is pumped up and ready to go on our official first day of the Yellowstone Adventure! All of us agreed this morning on the way to the airport that this is our favorite trip to run for so many reasons. The opportunity to catch big numbers of large and hungry cutthroat, brown, and rainbow trout every day tops the list, along with the ability to catch 3 different strains of...

Colorado Adventure II - update 3

Hi all! Today is airport day! It’s so sad to see these guys go. It was great getting to know them and watch them get to know each other. This trip totally flew by— we definitely wish we could have more time with this group. After cleaning up and resetting from our backcountry leg, we headed further into the mountains towards Kremmling, CO. Here we stayed at Pumphouse Campground, situated along the...

Berkshires to Beaches Expedition - Update 4

Dear families, I’ve got good news and bad news. The good news is that you finally get to see your kid’s happy faces today. The bad news is that our trip has come to a close. Ending the portion of our trip in the Cape was bittersweet for many, including the guides. The pine tree-lined campsite overlooking a pristine kettle pond was such a treat to have in our backyard. Great striper fishing, ice...

Thorofare - update 2

Hello all, We are back in Jackson and regaining our bearings in developed society. There is something about spending a week in the most remote place in the United States that makes a town like Jackson feel foreign. After walking through the crowded square, and navigating tourist traffic, the guys and I jokingly (kinda) agreed that we wished we could hike the 24 miles back into the Thorofare and...

Montana Road Trip Expedition II Update III

Dear Parents, The Montana Road trip continues to roll on. The last time you heard from us, we were chasing salmon flies on the Madison, and after finding success, we quickly packed up to head to Missouri, where we set a new LFFE record for the largest brown trout, measuring 25 inches! The group has really found their groove on and off the water, and we are excited to see what their last day of...

Colorado Adventure II - update 2

Hello families! Today we exited the backcountry! The first group hiked in 2 miles to Big Meadow campground while the second group hiked farther in to upper Onahu site. The Big Meadows group had a brief but challenging hike in to our campsite situated next to Tonahutu Creek. We enjoyed some super productive fishing for beautiful brook trout, with every camper landing 10+ fish (and some many more)...

Mass Bass Adventure - Update 3

Greetings from the Mass Bass Adventure, We're writing to you all on the final day of an awesome trip. The past 10 days have been filled with lots of laughs, good company, and numerous fish. It is sad to see the group leave, but we know they are leaving as confident, independent anglers who care for their environment. Not only have all the boys grown in their fishing abilities, but they have also...

Berkshires to Beaches Expedition - Update 3

Hello to all friends and family members, If you’ve never been to the Cape before, you need to book a flight to Logan International Airport and drive here as soon as possible. If you need any proof, just ask your kids when they get back. This area of Massachusetts is so wonderful during this time of year: hungry fish, delicious ice cream, breathtaking sunny beaches, and the scenery that belongs in...

Montana Road Trip Expedition I Update 2

Greetings from the Madison! After arriving in Bozeman, the Montana Road Trip Expedition spent the first few days chasing the salmon fly hatch on the Madison River and dry fly eaters on the Ruby River. We have found the salmonflies; now we need to find the fish gorging on them. After that, we plan to head over to the Missouri River, where we will get float fish for big browns and rainbows. We spent...

Colarado Adventure II - update 1

Hello from sunny Colorado! We met up with the crew at the airport earlier today and headed to our first campsite outside of Granby, Colorado. The site is right along the Colorado River, and about 30 minutes from the trailhead where we will depart for the backcountry in two days. Before we could get to fishing, we got to know each other and discuss the plan for the week. After that, we'll go over...

Mass Bass Adventure - Update 2

Greetings from the Mass Bass Adventure, We have just arrived at Nickerson State Park here in Cape Cod. We are excited for a change in scenery and fishing opportunity, but we will miss the Housatonic and its abundant fish population. A lot has happened since the first day of the trip and we are pumped to see what lies ahead! The days spent on the Housatonic were full of fish, laughs, and maybe a...

Berkshires to Beaches Expedition - Update 2

Greetings from the Berkshires! The only thing hotter than the weather has been the fishing. After our introductory meeting with the group, we woke up with the birds and morning sun, loading up the van with kids and a canoe trailer to head to our first day of fishing. Canoeing along the Housatonic River was such a treat. Slow moving water made for easy paddling, while the sun made it easy for sight...

Minnesota Canoe Expedition - Update 3

Hi families! We had an awesome last few days on the trip. These guys showed some real grit in our battles with Mother Nature. Even waking up to pouring rain and mosquitos, everyone crawled out of the tents with positivity and laughs. On day 4, we whipped up some mouthwatering bacon pancakes. With rising rivers and high water, the group unanimously voted to fish for our dinner. We set our sights on...

Colarado Adventure I - update 3

Hello Families! Our Colorado Adventure wrapped up today and everyone's on their way back home. Since our last trip update, we headed west toward the town of Kremmling, Colorado to fish a gorgeous section of the Colorado River along Pumphouse campground. The guys battled adverse weather and less than ideal fishing conditions to land some amazing fish. It was cool to see them persevere -- earlier in...

Thorofare Expedition - update 1

Hi families! Airport day was a big success; we all had so much fun getting to meet everyone! The group is getting along great, it's always fun watching the nerves melt away as guys make connections and get to know each other a bit. Tonight we will camp at Gros Ventre campground and enjoy stunning views of the Teton mountains. We'll settle in, have dinner, maybe play some games, catch the sunset...

MT Road Trip Expedition I - Update 1

Greetings from Ennis, Montana! After collecting everyone from the Bozeman airport, we drove the hour 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 bends. That...

Mass Bass Adventure - Update 1

Hi Families! The group is headed out today in the official start of the Mass Bass Adventure! As the guys trickled in throughout the day, it was so great to begin to get to know one another a little more and hear everyone’s hopes and goals for the trip! It is certainly a very ambitious and excited group that is ready to hit it hard and have an awesome time. After long travel days coming from all...

Minnesota Canoe Expedition - Update 2

Hi families, We have been tearing up the rivers these past couple days! Three days in and 30 river miles down with countless fish in the net and a few in the fryer. Our western trips are pretty packed with wildlife, but it's arguably even better here! We’ve spotted bald eagles, white tails crossing the river, a wolf carcass, momma black bear with two cubs, and strutting turkeys. The boys have been...

Colarado Adventure I - update 2

Hi families, Today we exited the backcountry! We had half of the group closer to the trailhead at Big Meadows Campground, with the other venturing further at Sunrise Campground. Both groups fished sections of the Tonahutu Creek and we had amazing success! Throwing a combination of dry flys, large terrestrials, and nymphs, not only were campers able to catch jaw-dropping numbers of wild brook trout...

Berkshires to Beaches Expedition - Update 1

Hi families! Most great, memorable fishing trips start with an early alarm, a groggy travel day, and itching anticipation to get out on the water to do what you love; this trip is no exception. The boys woke up early and traveled from all across the united states to meet up in the beautiful city of Boston. This group of guys is a mix from all over: Texas, Washington, North Carolina, Los Angeles...

Minnesota Canoe Expedition - Update 1

Hi families, We have arrived in Minneapolis! The day of travel went smoothly; guys came in throughout the late morning and afternoon. After collecting everyone, we hit the road with the van (*the coolest van in the LFFE fleet) and trailer packed down with supplies. After a quick lunch at a nearby park, we stopped at Thorne Bros fly shop. The group was amazed by the size of the flies needed to...

Colorado Adventure I - update 1

Hello! The first LFFE trip of the year has started! We’re so excited to kick the season off with another great Colorado adventure. The team picked campers up from the airport, loaded up the van, and took off for the mountains. Our first campsite is located in the town of Granby, Colorado, along the Colorado river. We resisted the urge to start fishing upon arrival and got ourselves organized and...

Yellowstone Expedition II '23 Update

The Yellowstone Expedition has been fishing hard in Yellowstone, with tons of fish caught since our last update. We have done a lot of fishing and exploring the last few days and are just as excited for our final few days on the water as a group. After our last update, we started preparing for our second backcountry while we stayed at the Bridge Bay campsite and fished some of the road-accessible...

Yellowstone Adventure 2 - Update 4

Hi all, For the last two days of the trip, the boys floated the world famous Madison River. Everyone caught fish and had a good time despite the poor weather conditions. Half of the group floated while the other half fished other rivers in the area. It was great to get to see how much this group has grown as fisherman over the course of the trip. Working on things like hook sets and clean drifts...

Yellowstone Adventure 2 - Update 3

Hi all, We are out of our second and final backcountry in the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone on the Yellowstone River. The crew splitting up into two groups again, we enjoyed awesome numbers of fish caught, a great reward for a strenuous hike into and out of the canyon. The day after our last update we fished the park section of the Snake River. A beautiful day on the river came with some great...

Yellowstone Expedition 2 - update 3

Hi all, Greetings from Bridge Bay campsite! So far the trip has gone wonderfully! We are currently in the park - we have spent six days inside Yellowstone fishing four unique waters, three rivers and one lake. Within these fisheries, the group has had the opportunity to target many species including the Yellowstone cutthroat trout, brown trout, rainbow trout, and grayling. On the first day in the...

Montana Road Trip Adventure - Update 4

As we get into the final stretch of the trip, the group continued to float the Bighorn River. We're still sweating, but the fishing is still very good! It's been a very productive few days; we've really been able to dial in what was working from our previous days of fishing and the kids all managed to land nice fish with some especially large ones making it to the net. It's fun for us guides to...

Colorado Adventure II - update 3

The Colorado adventure II is wrapping up and what a trip it has been! We just finished our day of float fishing and are having our banquet dinner in Silverthorne tonight. The kids just spent the day relaxing in the pool at the rec center and a ready to come home. The last couple days have been very exciting. We camped at Pumphouse last night and caught a great evening hatch with a few nice browns...

Ready to Enroll?

Click "Enroll Now" or give us a call to get started. You can also send us an email at info@lillardflyfishing.com.

If you have any questions you can Request Information and we will contact you soon with answers.

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

info@lillardflyfishing.com

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

(828) 577-8204