Hi all,
Once last update! We wrapped up our time on the Bighorn River with even more incredible fishing. Throughout the last couple of days, campers continued refining their rowing skills in water that was less physically demanding than the Madison but required much more precise boat positioning to consistently put anglers on fish. Learning to row "fishy" water is an entirely different skill, and it was great to watch everyone's confidence continue to grow.
By the end of our time on the Bighorn, every camper had rowed one of the guides into the fish of a lifetime, and every camper landed at least one trout over 18 inches. It was an awesome way to cap off all of the hard work everyone had put into developing both their rowing and guiding abilities throughout the week.
Our final float was one to remember. We stayed on the river until nearly 9:00 p.m., enjoying brats cooked and eaten right from the boats while anchored near one of our favorite runs. The evening hatch turned on, the fish followed, and the campers even managed an exciting quadruple hookup that had everyone cheering and scrambling with nets.
After the float, we made the drive back to Ennis, which also happened to be Soren's birthday. We celebrated with grilled steaks, root beer floats for dessert, and plenty of laughs around camp. To finish off the evening, everyone got together for one last game of ultimate frisbee, which was the perfect way to wrap up an unforgettable week on the river.
This morning we closed out the trip with some early morning donuts before making our way to the airport. After a week of learning, fishing, rowing, camping, and making memories together, it was time to say our heartfelt goodbyes and send our newly minted guides back home.
Thank you for sharing your campers with us this week. It has been a pleasure watching each of them grow in confidence, skill, and teamwork. We hope they made memories that will last a lifetime, and we look forward to seeing many of them back on the river in the future!
Until next time,
Sean, Luke, Sam, & Coleman
