Our Teen Fly Fishing Adventures and Expeditions are immersive wilderness fly fishing experiences that aim to create confident, independent anglers with a passion for conservation. You will learn to navigate the backcountry with only a map and compass and survive with only what you can carry on your back. You will become experienced at catching trout with a fly rod in lakes, rivers and streams. You will learn to read water, to “match the hatch”, and how to make long casts with pinpoint accuracy. But there is much more to our trips than becoming confident independent anglers.
Personal Growth
Our Adventures/Expeditions foster personal growth while building character and interpersonal skills. As we travel together in a small group, you will become a better team member, be engaged in group decision making and develop your own leadership style. You will gain confidence while overcoming the challenge of climbing mountain passes; practice patience while casting to selective trophy trout, and learn to prepare for and overcome adversity as we experience fast-changing mountain weather.
Environmental Education
Most adventure education companies claim to teach environmental awareness. The truth is, environmental education requires more than just providing experiences in natural settings. During our Adventure Academies, environmental education is an integral part of our curriculum. Our highly qualified and well-trained leaders use our participants’ interest in fly fishing to engage them in fun lessons, discussions, and activities that will teach the importance and encourage interest in, environmental conservation. Learn first hand the impact of dams on aquatic ecosystems, how mountaintop removal is polluting native brook trout streams in the Appalachians, or how conservation efforts have fueled the recovery of Yellowstone Cutthroat trout.
Service Learning
The primary goal of Lillard Fly Fishing Expeditions is to inspire future generations of confident and independent anglers who are passionate about conservation and stewardship. Giving every one of our participants the opportunity to give back to the ecosystems they experienced on their trip is an integral piece of that mission. As participants work to clean up trash along rivers, plant native plants in riparian buffer zones, or build fences that keep cattle from trampling spawning beds, they will learn the importance of civic engagement and discover how they can make a difference. By actively participating in the conservation of the watersheds they fly fish, students will learn what it means to be a steward of our natural resources. Participants will learn the skills necessary to be leaders in conservation and stewardship. We encourage students to put their new skills into action by joining or initiating groups such as fly fishing clubs and community service projects when they return to their home communities, schools, and watersheds.
