Hello families!
Welcome to the 2026 Yellowstone Custom Trip! After months of planning, our group has officially arrived in Montana, and we're excited to kick off what promises to be an incredible week together. We picked everyone up from the airport this afternoon, and after a long morning of travel, we made a quick lunch to refuel our hungry travelers before making our way toward Cooke City. Over the next week, we'll be exploring some of the most beautiful landscapes in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem while chasing wild trout on some of the most iconic waters in the West.
The drive to camp was a perfect introduction to Yellowstone Country. As we wound our way through mountain valleys, forests, and wide-open landscapes, everyone had the chance to take in the incredible scenery while getting to know one another. It was fun watching conversations begin to flow as new friendships started to form. By late afternoon, we arrived at our campground, Crazy Creek, just outside of Cooke City. After setting up camp, everyone pitched in to organize gear, settle into camp, and prepare for the adventures ahead. The teamwork and positive attitudes on day one have us excited for the rest of the trip. We're lucky to have a group of guys that already get along so well.
Tomorrow the adventure really begins as we enter Yellowstone National Park for our first day of fly fishing. We'll spend the day exploring the park's legendary rivers while working on casting, fish handling, and reading trout water before heading into the spectacular Lamar Valley backcountry. Over the coming days, we'll sleep beneath some of the darkest, star-filled skies in the country, drive past herds of bison, and hopefully encounter some of the incredible wildlife that makes Yellowstone world-famous. From elk and pronghorn to bald eagles — and maybe even wolves or bears — this ecosystem offers an unforgettable outdoor classroom unlike anywhere else in the world.
A quick introduction to your guides! I'm Jack Kenney, and this is my tenth year with Lillard Fly Fishing Expeditions. I direct our international expeditions, East Coast programs, and Yellowstone trips. I grew up in the Boston area and graduated from the University of Vermont with a degree in Entrepreneurship. Yellowstone holds a special place in my heart — it was my very first trip as an LFFE camper — and it's an honor to return each summer to introduce a new group of campers to one of my favorite places on Earth.
Joining me is Kellen, a two-trip LFFE alumnus who grew up in Colorado, where summers were spent fly fishing and winters were spent skiing. His love for fly fishing naturally evolved into a passion for river conservation, leading him to work on Trout Unlimited conservation projects in Oregon and Wyoming during high school. Kellen is now entering his sophomore year at Montana State University, where he studies environmental engineering while serving as Vice President of the Bozeman Trout Bums fly fishing club. He's excited to share his passion for fly fishing and conservation with the group and is especially looking forward to starry nights around camp and seeing everyone's excitement as they experience Yellowstone's incredible trout fishing.
We couldn't ask for a better start to the trip. Everyone traveled well, arrived in great spirits, and is eager to hit the water tomorrow. Thank you for trusting us with your kids — we're looking forward to an unforgettable week of fishing, adventure, and memories. Stay tuned for more updates from Yellowstone!
Tight lines and good times,
Jack & Kellen
