Greetings from Puerto Rico! I had so much fun meeting everyone today and I could not be happier with the group of guys. It is always one of my favorite days to see everyone begin to form new friendships and watch as first day jitters turn to excitement for the fishing to come. Last week was some of the best saltwater fly fishing I have ever experienced and I couldn't be more excited for another week. Overall, airport day went about as smoothly as can be expected, with some minor delays and just one missed flight.
Today, after we gathered everyone, we hopped on a shuttle to the lodge. This long two hour drive went from the northeast to the southwest corner of the island, so it was a great opportunity to see a lot of Puerto Rico. This was also a great time for everyone to get to know each other better, despite the exhaustion from everyone's long days of travel.
Before I tell you more about the trip to come, I'd like to introduce myself.
I'm Evan Frits. I was born and raised in Seattle, Washington, and am currently a junior at Colorado College studying philosophy. I was a camper at Lillard for four years, where my love of fly fishing and the outdoors first took off. Lillard has been a significant part of my life since I was 13, when I participated in the Montana Road Trip for my first ever expedition. I'm excited to help create memorable experiences for others just as Lillard did for me. Since that first trip, I've had the opportunity to fish all over the American West and love exploring new places and waters. Some of my favorite fishing memories have come from fishing right near base camp with lifelong friends I've made through Lillard. When I'm not fishing, I enjoy playing banjo, snowboarding, hunting, and backpacking — and my favorite fly has got to be a Chubby Chernobyl (fun and effective).
For the next four days we will have the opportunity to fish this incredible fishery all day and get to see some of the most amazing saltwater fishing in the world. We will wake up bright and early every day and come back to the lodge for board games and dinner, exhausted but full of stories and excitement for the next day. We will explore tough coral flats and get deep into the mangroves and hopefully have the fishing trip of a lifetime. We should also get some opportunities to explore the town of Boqueron and get to experience the full Puerto Rico. I am beyond excited to get to experience this new wild place and see the fish that come out of it.
Until next time,
Evan and the guys
