Hello from the banks of the Yellowstone River! Today we picked everybody up from the Bozeman Airport and continued about an hour east to the aptly named Paradise Valley near Livingston, Montana. There, we set up camp at the first campsite for our upcoming three night float trip on the world-famous Yellowstone River. Before we dive into the days ahead, let us introduce ourselves (from left to right).
Hello all — I'm William Brooks! From Atlanta, Georgia, I'm a current student at Hampden-Sydney College, majoring in Business-Economics with minors in Spanish and Rhetoric. I'm an avid outdoorsman who, at a young age, quickly became a passionate bass fisherman and a hunter of turkeys, deer, and ducks. I'm also a die-hard sports fan — deeply passionate about the Georgia Bulldogs and Atlanta Braves. I've spent several summers out West, where I fell in love with fly fishing, and was myself a camper on a similar youth fly-fishing expedition several years ago. My favorite way to catch fish is on big dry flies, watching an awesome blowup — and my favorite backcountry meal is buffalo mac. I love hiking, backpacking, and all things wilderness. Having spent the past few summers as a counselor at my childhood camp, I can't wait to share my enthusiasm for the outdoors with like-minded campers on the water this summer as a first-time LFFE guide.
Hi there! My name is Charlie Melamede. I was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and moved to Burlington, Vermont when I was 10. Near the beginning of high school I started fly fishing around Vermont and haven't stopped since. These days I spend most of my time fishing, climbing, playing guitar, and skiing in Colorado, where I'll be going into my senior year as a computer science major in the fall. A fun fact about me: I'm an uncle to five nieces and nephews, two of whom are older than me. I just got back from a semester in Patagonia and love talking about travel, climbing, and of course fishing. I'm super excited to be joining the team this summer as a trip director!
Hello! I'm Gavin Reed. A PA native and three-trip LFFE alum, I currently study Business Management and Manufacturing Engineering at Pennsylvania College of Technology. My love for fly fishing formed after receiving a fly rod for my 13th birthday — since then, I've been traveling and exploring PA with a fly rod in hand consistently. My favorite fishing memory is teaching my dad how to fly fish, and my go-to fly is a Frenchie nymph. After taking LFFE trips to Tennessee, Maine, and Montana throughout high school, I knew I wanted to come back and share my knowledge and passion. In the backcountry, you'll find me making campfire quesadillas. When I'm off the water, I cherish time with family and friends, backpacking, hiking, snowboarding, and leading my college's Outdoor Adventure Club. I'm stoked to be joining the guide crew as a co-leader!
All went smoothly on arrival day. It is always such a pleasure getting to know everyone, watching new friendships form, and exchanging the first of many fishing stories to come. Everybody is getting along great, and we are super excited about what's to come. This evening, we will make some delicious pizza next to the Yellowstone River and get everything ready for our upcoming float trip.
The Yellowstone River is one of the most amazing and unique rivers in North America. Stretching nearly 700 miles through Wyoming, Montana, and ending at the Missouri River in North Dakota, it is the longest undammed river in the contiguous United States. We are lucky enough to be teaming up with our amazing float guides for a full three days of fishing on Yellowstone. Fishing from a raft is always a treat, as it allows us to cover a lot of water, and show our flies to a lot of fish. This will be one of our only opportunities to catch brown and rainbow trout before heading into the park where beautiful native Yellowstone Cutthroat trout fill the rivers. Aside from fishing, we'll enjoy lunch on the banks of the river and some swimming to beat the heat.
After we wrap up our time in the Paradise Valley in a couple days, we will head down to Yellowstone National Park to start our long stretch of front country and backcountry fishing in the country's oldest national park. Our first stop will be Bridge Bay Campground, a lovely front country site right in the heart of the park and on the banks of Yellowstone Lake. We will spend three nights there enjoying yummy front country meals, and exploring the endless fishing opportunities that the park has to offer. Some of our options include fishing Yellowstone Lake, the Lamar River, as well as countless other smaller tributaries in the Yellowstone River Watershed.
We are honored to be able to show such a special group of guys one of the most beautiful and pristine places on Earth. We cannot wait to continue to exchange stories, catch a lot of fish, and make some life-long memories. Thank you for trusting us with your sons, and we'll be back with more stories and photos after the float!
The guides and the guys
