The LFFE Blog

West Elk Update

Greetings from Gunnison CO, Our group of teen fishermen just finished the first backcountry section of our trip. After 4 days of fishing along the Crystal River everybody in the group has caught bunches of fish. Matt and Hall with a nice Crystal River Cutthroat Trout" /> We spent all three nights based at the top of Schofield Pass right along the river. From there we had perfect access to both the...

Big Adventure

After a smooth arrival day on 7/8 our Colorado West Elk Adventure is off to a great start. Our group crossing the Continental Divide, ready to catch some trout!" /> We spent the first full day of the trip getting to know eachother while we fished a 1,200 acre private ranch with over 1 mile of stream and two spring fed ponds. The creek proved to be the most productive fishing with everybody...

Blue Ridge Adventure Wrap Up

I can not believe our first open enrollment trip of the summer is already over! 12 days goes by so fast when you are catching fish every day. The final few days were packed full of great fishing and some huge trout. After leaving the backcountry for the last time we returned to the private water on the West Fork of the French Broad River. This time we got to fish right up until dark because we...

Blue Ridge… The Final Countdown

This morning we hiked out of the backcountry of the Blue Ridge Mountains for the last time during the summer of 2013. It was bittersweet as our group was enjoying the solitude and good fishing that hiking away from the crowds brings. On the other hand, as our trip winds down we still have two days of fishing for trophy trout, and a final banquet dinner to look forward to. Brawner cooking up a...

Blue Ridge Backcountry Update

The Blue Ridge Adventure is back at the Davidson River Campground after two nights in the backcountry. We could not have asked for a better first trip into the backcountry. Our group of young anglers ready to hit the trail in search of some native “brookies”" /> After a quick hike into our campsite at the base of a waterfall the clouds opened up for the first rain storm of our trip. Luckily it...

Blue Ridge Adventure Update

Greetings from the Davidson River, Our Blue Ridge Adventure is off to a great start! We have a awesome group of students with a wide variety of fly fishing experience. The fishing has been so good that we are just two days into the trip and everyone has caught a fish over 14 inches! Connor with a nice rainbow from the private section of the Davison River" /> After arriving at our base camp at the...

MUS Father Son Graduation Trip

Will & Kim : I wanted to thank LFFE for a wonderful trip that you and your staff put together for the MUS seniors and Dads this past month in Utah. I can honestly say that everything was perfect. It is very obvious that you put a lot of thought into the details surrounding this trip that made everything very easy for all of us to simply relax, fish and enjoy the time spent with our sons. From the...

LFFE 2013 Slideshow

As our slideshow season comes to an end we would like to thank everybody who made it out to one of our presentations this winter. Parents, students, and alumni thank you all for your support. If you didn’t have the chance to make it out this year take a few minute and click the link to watch the LFFE 2013 slideshow. It is full of great pictures from last years trips and will get you excited about...

Crystal River Mill

7/9/12 Written by Quintin Pollart After a long night of rain and cold the group awoke to a clear morning atop a hill in the Crystal River Valley. This was our first full day in the backcountry. Once we were all awake we dove into our personal supplies of backcountry food. Once we were fed we quickly packed our daypacks and started our four-mile decent into the Crystal Valley and to the Crystal...

Davis Interview

Q: When did you first learn to fly fish? Davis: I learned to fly fish when I was about 6 or 7 years old. At first I wasn’t really sure I’d get into it; I mean, it’s way easier to catch fish on spin gear anyway so why waste all that effort trying to entice them essentially with a flimsy stick? After I learned the motion and began to practice it I realized it had a soothing effect that relieved...

10 Tips for Winter Fly Fishing

Many people assume you cant fly fish during the winter. The truth, is for those who are armed with the courage to face cold temps and a good pair of waiters, winter brings solitude to even the most crowded of rivers and occasionally some really good fishing. The insect life might slow down a little, but I promise you Trout eat all winter and with a few pointers you could be out there catching them...

“Great Success” By Cal Edge

June 13th, 2012 Waking up to what looked like what was going to be a good day we loaded the van and headed to the Davidson River Outfitters Shop to start our day. We were split into two groups with two guides. Dobson and I were with “the Man”, Jeff, while Tripp, Edward, and Will were with “Big Bill.” We started on the public water to begin our morning. Meeting back up at lunch we shared fishing...

5 Stocking Stuffers for the Fly Fisher on Your Gift List

LFFE Custom Aluminum Fly Box*- The Box comes with ripple foam on one side and flat foam on the other, making it the perfect box for holding everything from big bushy dry flies and meaty streamers to tiny nymphs. We can fill the box with a selection of premium flies for only $15 per dozen. Even better 100% of proceeds from the sales of LFFE gear goes directly towards the LFFE scholarship fund. A...

LFFE Alumni Profile: Matthew Owen

A large part of what makes the LFFE experience so amazing is the other students you share it with; that is why we take our application process so seriously. Our participants come from all across the country, some have not fished a day in their life, others have been fly fishing for years, but one thing they have in common is character. By the age of 17, Matthew Owen had already been named Orvis...

Scouting Mission Accomplished

When I plan our fishing adventures I want to feel absolutely confident that they provide the best possible experience for LFFE participants. That means the locations I choose must have great fishing, backpacking, and scenery. I also have to consider, among many other things; unpredictable fishing conditions that make planning trips months in advance very difficult, time spent driving in the van...

“The Experience of a Lifetime”

The final group journal entry of 2012. Q did a great job summing up how we all felt. Trip: Colorado Rocky Mountain ’12 Date: July 20th, 2012 Written by Q Today was it – the last day of the first year of Lillard Fly Fishing Expeditions. These past two weeks have just flown by, from the beginning in the relatively slow, but still incredible, fishing on the Cochetopa, to the cutthroats averaging 15...

Welcome!

The LFFE blog is finally here. Check back often as we will be frequently adding LFFE news, interesting stories from our trips, photos, videos, and much more.

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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