Howdy Family & Friends!
Our inaugural Bob Marshall Adventure is underway here in the heart of the Last Best Place. We’re so pumped for the next 10 days with this awesome crew. Everyone’s airport day was mostly smooth — a couple delays and hold-ups — but we’ve got the guys and gear and we are good to go! The nerves and slight awkwardness washed away almost instantly once conversations about fishing and wild places started rolling. After a quick fly shop stop, we were on our way to LFFE’s new Bob Marshall Outpost at the North Fork of the Blackfoot trailhead. Wall tents, loaded boat trailers, and horse corrals 10 miles down a dirt road make a humble abode for a group of young outdoorsmen.
Tonight, we’ll have a big burger dinner, get our bearings around camp, and do some introductory activities — icebreakers, anyone? We’ve got some fun ones in mind, don’t worry — we all know how uncomfortable icebreakers can be. The energy is high, and the eagerness to explore new country is obvious from all the guys.
A quick intro to the Dream Team Guide Crew:
Hi all - I’m Drew Crain! I was born and raised in Memphis, TN, but the Rocky Mountains were calling me from an early age. I first joined LFFE as a participant on the Rocky Mountain Adventure over 10 years ago, and I’ve been guiding with LFFE for the past four. These days, I’m lucky to call Bozeman home. II spend most of my time chasing critters—guiding anglers, elk hunters, and skiers in southwest Montana. This summer, I’m excited to explore new water in the Bob Marshall Wilderness!
My name is Adrian Soberanis. I grew up in Bethesda, Maryland, near the Potomac River. Hiking and kayaking from a young age, I developed a deep passion for the outdoors. When I was 10, my grandfather taught me how to fly fish on Little Pine Creek in Pennsylvania. Over the past five year, I’ve participated in multiple Lillard trips. In 2023, I was a participant in the first Bob Marshall Expedition with Will (Lillard) and am pumped to return this summer in pursuit of the elusive bull trout. I’m a sophomore at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida, where I study Environmental Studies and Entrepreneurship. In my free time, I primarily fly fish in saltwater from my paddleboard in Tampa Bay during the school year and in the Pamlico Sound along the Outer Banks over the summer.
Hey everyone, I’m Owen Johnson! I was born and raised in the town of Alpine, Utah. I picked up a fly rod at the age of six and haven’t put it down since. I love chasing trout in the most remote places possible and living for the adventures they take me on. I go to school at BYU–Idaho and never miss a day on the Henry’s Fork or South Fork. I’m so stoked for another amazing year with Lillard and can’t wait to see you on the water!
A bit of history on “The Bob” is important to grasp how special this place is. The Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex, named after forester and wilderness advocate Bob Marshall, spans over 1.5 million acres of rugged, roadless country in western Montana. Known as “The Bob,” it’s part of the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem and was one of the original areas protected under the 1964 Wilderness Act. Marshall, who explored the region extensively in the 1920s and ’30s, envisioned wild lands preserved for both wildlife and people who sought solitude and connection to nature.
At the heart of this vast wilderness is the North Fork of the Blackfoot River, which flows from the alpine basins of the Bob’s western front. This river is not only a key tributary to the Blackfoot River, but also a pristine example of a wild freestone stream — home to native Westslope Cutthroat Trout and Bull Trout, both species that rely on cold, connected habitats.
The Blackfoot River, made famous by Norman Maclean’s A River Runs Through It, is steeped in both cultural and ecological significance. For centuries, it was used by Indigenous peoples for fishing, hunting, and seasonal travel. Later, the river became central to Montana’s timber and mining industries — though these left scars on the landscape that are still being restored today.
Today, the North Fork drainage and the upper Blackfoot River serve not just as ecological corridors, but as places where Montanans and visitors alike can walk in the footsteps of grizzlies, pioneers, and Indigenous families — carrying on a legacy of stewardship and respect for wild places.
In recent news, approximately 3 million acres of public land is at risk of being sold by the federal government in the new budget reconciliation bill. Spearheaded by Senator Mike Lee of Utah and under the guise of “Affordable Housing”, public lands across the West are at risk. The guide team decided this would be a great opportunity to talk about public lands and our responsibility to stand up for them. After departing from the airport and stopping at the local fly shop, we called the Montana US senators, Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy, to let them know we oppose any provision that would sell or transfer ownership of public lands. Public lands belong to the American people, and they should stay public.
Our first couple of days will be spent fishing the North Fork of the Blackfoot and Monture Creek — mastering the fundamentals of fly fishing and getting reps on lots of eager fish. You’ll get another big update after we return from our backcountry section of the trip!
We’re so excited to share and experience this place with such an awesome group of young men and future conservationists.
Tight lines,
Drew, Owen, and Adrian
