Hello Lillard Families,
Today officially kicked off our Colorado Adventure. While most of the day was spent traveling, there was plenty of excitement as campers arrived in Colorado from all over the country. It's always fun to watch a group of kids who have never met before instantly connect over a shared love of fly fishing and the outdoors. Before we share more, let us introduce ourselves (from left to right)!
Hello! I'm Jack Martin, a native of Richmond, Virginia and a student at CU Boulder, pursuing an economics degree. I fell in love with fly fishing when I was 12 years old, growing up fishing the small streams of the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia in search of native brook trout. These days I enjoy fishing the vast rivers of Colorado and have spent countless days exploring the Colorado backcountry, especially in Rocky Mountain National Park.
This is my first year as a guide but my fourth summer with LFFE — it all started with a Montana road trip when I was 14. I'm a certified Wilderness First Responder. One of my favorite backcountry meals is buffalo mac, an LFFE staple.
My favorite fly is a micro chubby. My favorite fishing memory is a recent one: catching countless 20-inch fish in a blizzard in the mountains of Colorado. Off the water, I love to ski, backpack, camp, and play lacrosse. I'm also a huge Boston sports fan.
Hey families! My name is Max Twito, I grew up in Seattle, Washington. I now live in Bozeman, where I moved to attend Montana State. I learned how to fly fish when I was 13 at a summer camp and have been putting those skills to use ever since. My favorite activities include fishing in Montana, cooking great food, hunting, and exploring.
This is my first year as a guide with LFFE. My favorite fly is a purple perdigon — the fish love it. My favorite fishing memory is landing a musky on a fly at sunset after a long day on the water. I'm a Wilderness First Responder and enjoy learning more about the medical field and other wilderness skills. You can often find me hiking into places people don't typically go, searching for new fishing and hunting terrain. I'm pumped about this summer — we're going to have a great time!
Hi there — my name is Kitchel Snow. I grew up in a suburb of Chicago, Illinois, and am currently a junior at the University of Denver, where I study Business Information and Analytics. While at DU, I helped start the university's fly fishing club, building a community of students who share a passion for getting outside and spending time on the water.
I began fly fishing around eight years ago and quickly fell in love with the sport — learning the ropes on an LFFE trip to the Wind River Range. I've spent the past two summers guiding for Lillard Fly Fishing Expeditions in both Yellowstone National Park and Rocky Mountain National Park, experiences that have helped me grow as both an angler and a leader in the backcountry. During the school year, I spend as much time as possible fishing rivers across Colorado, often getting out on weekends.
A few things to know about me: I'm left-handed, and my favorite fly is a Frenchie. When I'm not fishing, you can find me skiing, playing sports, or camping. This summer I'll be based in Colorado as a Trip Director and am looking forward to another great season with Lillard.
Throughout the day, campers came into the airport from different states and time zones, each bringing plenty of energy and anticipation for the week ahead. By the end of the day, conversations had already shifted from travel plans to favorite flies, biggest fish stories, and what everyone is hoping to catch during their time in Colorado.
Arrival day may not be the most action-packed part of the trip, but it is an important one. Campers had a chance to get settled in, meet their guides, learn more about the adventure ahead, and start building friendships that often become one of the best parts of the experience. It never takes long for a group of anglers to find common ground.
Tomorrow we'll get our first opportunity to put our skills to the test on Willow Creek. It will be a great warm-up and a chance for everyone to get comfortable fly fishing Colorado water before heading deeper into the mountains later in the week. The excitement for getting on the water is definitely building.
Looking ahead, one of the highlights of this adventure will be our backcountry trip into Rocky Mountain National Park. We'll spend two nights camping near Tonahutu Creek in a beautiful mountain meadow, surrounded by some of the most incredible scenery Colorado has to offer. Campers will have the opportunity to catch endless brook trout and potentially a few cutthroat trout, as well. It's an experience many campers talk about long after the trip ends, and we're excited to share it with this group.
Most importantly, we want parents to know that everyone arrived safely, is settling in well, and is already having a great time. We have a fantastic group of campers, and we're looking forward to an unforgettable week of fishing, adventure, and time spent in the mountains. We can't wait for our backcountry adventure and our next trip update will be up on Friday, June 19th.
Tight Lines,
Kitchel, Jack, Max, and the Crew
