El Pescador Lodge on Ambergris Caye in northern Belize is synonymous with great saltwater fishing, great food, and superb, friendly service. It is one of the most famous Caribbean fly fishing lodges and certainly the most established in Belize. The lodge has been awarded the prestigious Orvis Endorsed International Destination of the Year award twice, once in 2013 and again in 2017. (these awards are based on customer reviews!)

Add to this two for one pricing and we have the makings of something special. Join me on a hosted fly fishing adventure trip to Belize this coming October as we fish for bonefish, permit, tarpon, and more. This will be my 7th consecutive year to host trips to El Pescador.

El Pescador is one the best places in the world to achieve a saltwater Grand Slam…bonefish, permit, and tarpon. Bonefish abound in shallow flats and schools of permit cruise the deeper flats and edges. In October, resident tarpon (about 20 to 60 lbs.) are in abundance and provide great action. In addition, a few of the bigger migratory tarpon are usually still hanging around.

The real beauty of El Pescador fly fishing is how it offers something for all fly fishers…from novice to old salts. Each angler can choose his or her challenge level for the day. Start with the less challenging schools of bonefish then move to the elusive permit and hard charging tarpon for greater challenges.

As El Pescador fishes over 400 square miles of water, there is always new water to fish and lots of options. October is a time of active, less pressured fish which translates to more chances or “shots” for the fly angler.

Due to the popularity of this trip I am hosting two trips instead of one in 2019. The first trip is October 15-20, 2019 and the second is October 20-25, 2019.

The package price includes five nights lodging and either three or four days of guiding fishing depending on which package you prefer. If you pick the five night/three day package then the extra day can be used to just relax at the lodge or enjoy one of the mainland tours or other activities (snorkeling, reef fishing, kayaking, and more). Just fly into Belize City and things are taken care of from there. The package price includes the short 15-minute island hopper flight to the small island village of San Pedro and then a short, boat ride to the lodge.

The cost for one or two anglers is only $4825 for the five night/four day package and $4225 for the five night/three day package. This is where one angler pays for the single occupancy package and then the other angler goes FREE! Or two anglers can split this for an unbelievably low price. Discounts for true singles are also available if you want to fish and room alone. Your trip can be customized to your preference in terms of length of stay, number of days fishing, other activities, etc. For those developing their fly fishing skills we have fun casting sessions available every afternoon.  

These trips have very limited availability as only a few slots remain. The first trip is half full and the second is full.  

​Please contact me for additional information or to secure one of the remaining slots for you.

If you have never fished out of Laura and Mike Geary’s Healing Waters Lodge in Southwestern Montana, then you should join us there in June of 2019 as we travel there to fish one of the best super hatches of the year.   
 
Laura and Mike’s lodge operation is quickly developing a very strong following because of their warm and engaging personalities, their attention to every detail, their more than beautiful lodge complex, and above all…they have the widest variety of outstanding fly fishing in all of Montana. At their disposal are several of the big fabled trout rivers of southwestern plus countless miles of private water that took many years to put together. All of these elements work together to produce one of the finest experiences you can have fly fishing. 

I have hosted three trips to HWL and have referred many others, and the feedback is always the same...outstanding in all respects.  
​
The Fishing​: Although many options are available when it comes to the fishing at HWL, the timing of this trip is based on the peak of the salmonfly hatch on the Big Hole. The Big Hole is over 150 miles of free flowing river set in a remote, sparsely populated valley in southwestern Montana. It is home to a viable population of fluvial Arctic Grayling, one of the very few left in the lower 48 and is a testament to the health and vitality of the river. It is also home to a legendary hatch of giant stoneflies which begins in earnest about mid-June. These adult stoneflies (Pteronarcys californica) are big, about 1 to 2 inches in length and epitomize Montana trout fishing...big flies, big rivers, and big fish. This is a well-known hatch, so we can expect to see other fly fishers, yet the Big Hole has several sections so it disperses the anglers out over large areas  And there are other waters, both public and private, that offer more solitude. This includes the Beaverhead, the Ruby, and miles of private water.

Everyone should fish the salmonfly hatch on the Big Hole at least a time or two...casting big, dry, stonefly patterns to fish looking up on one of the most beautiful rivers in all of North America!  

The Beaverhead River is also prime during this time. It is loaded with big brown trout and is perfect for the streamer addict. Less than 50 miles long, the "Beav" is narrow compared to other western rivers, yet it is perfect for float trips. It has a very healthy population of browns, about 16 inches and up. Way up...well into the 20's. And of course the reason is food. The Beaverhead is a veritable bug factory...PMD's, BWO's, tricos, several caddis, and some stones. Little yellow stones and golden stones. In June the river is really alive with active trout and bugs.      

Fishing the Big Hole during the salmonfly fly hatch and then streamers for big browns on the Beaverhead...it can't get much better. Add in a little private water or smaller water and life is good. Really good!  

The guides at HWL are at the top of the guiding game...professional, fun, articulate, client-centered, and very fishy. They work as a team so they can stay current on the huge expanse of water that is available to them. They pick you up at your room and bring you back to the room for your convenience.        
​
The Lodge: HWL is an Orvis Endorsed Lodge with an ultra-strong following of repeat guests due in large part to the vast amount of high quality trout water and the excellent job they do of providing the best possible total experience.

The lodge sits squarely in the heart of the Ruby Valley(Trout Central)...it is large yet conveys an intimate feeling with the landscape. And it provides all one could want for including a hot tub, laundry service, exercise room, casting pond (with trout), a well-stocked fly shop w/loaner gear, pool table, reading room, and a guest business office.

Professional chefs prepare every meal including entrees such as pork porterhouse, agrodolce style; grilled wild-caught wild salmon; chinois marinated rack of lamb; top sirloin; and roast bison tenderloin. They will graciously accommodate any dietary restriction or preference. 

The Details:​ Trip dates are June 13-18, 2019. This is a 5 night, 4 days of guided fishing package. June 13 is arrival day. June 14-17 are fishing days. June 18 is departure day. Trip can be customized for a longer period if desired. 

Logistics are easy. Simply fly into Bozeman on one of the major airlines and drive the 1.5 hours to HWL near Twin Bridges. Good roads and scenic driving all the way.

​The cost is $3700 per person based on double occupancy. 50% deposit required at time of booking with balance due at the end of the trip.

​Included: lodging, meals, guided fishing, beer & wine, loaner fly fishing gear, all terminal tackle including flies, leaders, & tippet, and lodge staff tips.

​Not included: fishing licenses, guide gratuities, private water fees, airfare, & airport shuttles.
​
On the afternoon of 6/13 I will present a workshop designed to tune-up casting and slack line skills for those who are interested. Similar sessions can be held as needed throughout the trip.  

​This trip has very limited availability due to the timing of the trip. It is in the high demand season. 

Below are a few photos from our 2018 trip.

​​Email or Call Steve Hollensed for booking or more information.  ​

Golden Dorado River Cruiser 
​It is with great excitement that I announce a new hosted trip to northern Argentina to fish for Golden Dorado. This trip is safe, easy, and adventurous, yet without a few of the usual complexities of some Golden Dorado fishing. This operation is based on the mother ship concept; the mother ship tows modern fishing skiffs to the best fishing while maintaining all the comforts of home for the angler.
​
The Golden Dorado River Cruiser moves up and down the Parana River system following the migrations of the Golden Dorado. The Parana system is composed of deltas, marshes, wetlands, and some forested marshlands. It is huge, running some 1600 miles through Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina. It is second in size only to the Amazon.

This seemingly endless river system is extremely rich in bird life and is one of the most beautiful places you could every imagine.

​Of significant importance to the fly fisher is the fact that this river is just loaded with Golden Dorado! But because of it's size, huge baitfish migrations, and fluctuating water levels it can be challenging. The best solution to this challenge is the mother ship concept, as mobility is the key factor for success. If you are mobile, the challenge is easily met.

​Golden Dorado on the Fly 
​These fish are really something. Aggressive, voracious strikers. Pugnacious and powerful fighters. Acrobatic for sure. Often occur in schools. Beautiful for both eye and camera. And they live in freshwater, making their pursuit really pretty simple.

​Presentation is not all that critical when fishing for Golden Dorado. Just get the fly in the vicinity, make it look alive, and something exciting will happen. So in general, this fishing is more "forgiving" than most saltwater fishing, yet still...very, very rewarding!

​During this trip, topwater action will be a big part of the fishing pattern. Big streamers will complete the arsenal. Both are exciting when Dorado is the target.   

The Cruiser​      
The people​ who own and operate the Dorado River Cruiser are the same great people who own and operate Estancia Laguna Verde on Jurassic Lake, famous for great fishing and great experiences.

​And following in the same tradition, the cruiser provides a very unique and high quality Golden Dorado experience...moving to find the best fishing does not mean you have to comprise the quality of the total experience.  

​The Cruiser has four bedrooms for eight guests based on double occupancy. Each room has A/C and en-suite bathrooms and showers with hot water. The rooms are comfortable and well-appointed. The upper level contains a sitting room and a dining area with a panoramic view of Parana ecosystem. All meals are prepared by a professional chef and the cruiser is operated by a professional captain who just happens to be an avid fly fisher.

​Captain Dario worked as a guide at Estancia Laguna Verde early in his career but his first love is fly fishing for Dorado. You will be impressed with his Dorado flies!

​Another unique aspect of this operation is just how completely you are immersed into the surrounding environment...you are living in a pristine wetland ecosystem that is becoming increasingly rare in modern times. This wilderness setting provides the sights and sounds of a truly natural system that both relaxes and inspires.

​A general fishing day usually involves a morning and an afternoon session, with lunch and a nap in between.

​Trip Details    
​In terms of logistics, this is a very easy trip to Argentina. Simply fly into Buenos Aires, arriving early in the morning. We will be transferred by ground transportation to a marina located about three hours northwest of Buenos Aires. From there we will be transferred in a modern, spacious boat to the Cruiser. You will be at the Cruiser in time to unpack, get settled in, have lunch, and still get in an afternoon of fishing. After breakfast of the last day you will be transferred back to the international airport for the evening flight back.

​The dates for this trip are January 4-11, 2019. The cost is $4500. This includes 7 nights of lodging on the Cruiser and 6.5 days of guided fishing. Includes all meals, beverages, licenses, and domestic transfers to and from Buenos Aires.  

​The Cruiser offers excellent accommodations, superb dining, and consistent, "lots-of-action", Golden Dorado fishing that is safe and easy. This is a great "stand-alone" trip, or if you desire an additional week of fishing in Argentina, this is the perfect trip to start your Argentine fly fishing adventure.  

​Watch this short video.
​
​Contact me for more information or to secure your place on this trip. Very limited availability.                    

For the fourth consecutive year, I am producing and hosting another fly fishing adventure to southeastern British Columbia. The Elk River, and picturesque ski village of Fernie, provide the perfect venue for the fly angler who appreciates wild, native fish in a wild, pristine river...and loves to fish the dry fly!

​This area is home to perhaps some of the finest dry fly fishing in all of North America. With strong, dependable hatches and an extremely healthy population of West Slope Cutthroats, the Elk is a fly fishers dream. It flows freely for about 110 miles before entering into the Kootenay River, flowing through one of the prettiest valleys you can imagine. The Elk has a number of sections that are perfect for day long floats, each containing textbook trout habitat. Add in the St. Mary, Old Man, Crow's Nest, Waterton, Bull, and Wigwam Rivers and the possibilities are endless. 
​
Wading Michel Creek is another great option. A tributary of the Elk, it is a wonderfully scenic and productive cutty stream, with some big ones that will absolutely surprise you.  

​This trip is timed to coincide with two of the best hatches on the Elk...the Golden Stonefly and Green Drake hatches. Flies are big and buggy for the most part. 6's and 8's for the Golden Stones and 10's and 12's for the Green Drakes.

​This fishery has perhaps the highest probability of excellent dry fly fishing that I have ever seen. And when the fish are not looking up, they are still hungry and aggressive; switching to subsurface presentations makes the action almost continuous.

​This is a wonderful place and time to catch a big bull trout as well! Truly an indicator species that requires clean, flowing water, bull trout are aggressive strikers and exceptional fighters.  Real beauties, these char fit into this river and landscape so well.  

​This is not the typical destination trip in that we are not traveling to a lodge...there is not really a lodge in the area. We stay at the Best Western Mountain Lodge in Fernie and we travel to various restaurants after our day of fishing, enjoying the great dining available. Our guides pick us up at the motel and return us to our motel. After a rest and shower, we take the van to the restaurant of our choosing, only blocks away.

​Fernie provides a unique blend of civilization and nature. Modern motels, diverse restaurants, main street stores, and fly shops all add to the experience and are just minutes away from mountains and the river...the Elk runs right through town.

​No doubt about it, whether it is its natural beauty, the history and architecture of main street, or just the casual outdoor lifestyle found there, Fernie has a charm all its own.

​Our outfitter will be Dave Brown Outfitters who is based in Fernie. Dave has been outfitting and guiding in the Fernie area for many years and has always exceeded our expectations.
​  
​The dates are July 8-14, 2018. We will fly into Kalispell, Montana and stage there on July 8. The next day (7/9) a van will transfer the group to Fernie. Fishing days will be July 10-13. July 14 will be departure day and we will transfer back to Glacier Park International Airport in Kalispell. Of the four fishing days, it is planned to fish three on the Elk and the fourth day on one of the other outstanding rivers in the area.

​Cost is $2600 per person based on double occupancy. Single occupancy rates available. Price includes five nights lodging, four days of guided fishing, shuttle service to and from Fernie on appointed days, and breakfast and lunch on fishing days. Does not include evening dining, guide gratuities, licenses, and lodging and meals on staging day.

​Watch this video from 2016!                               

El Pescador Lodge on Ambergris Caye in northern Belize is synonymous with great saltwater fishing, great food, and superb, friendly service. It is one of the most famous Caribbean fly fishing lodges and certainly the most established in Belize. The lodge has been awarded the prestigious Orvis Endorsed International Destination of the Year award twice, once in 2013 and now recently in 2017. (these awards are based on customer reviews!)

Add to this two for one pricing and we have the makings of something special. Join me on a hosted fly fishing adventure trip to Belize this coming October as we fish for bonefish, permit, tarpon, and more. This will be my sixth consecutive year to host trips to El Pescador.

El Pescador is one the best places in the world to target all the Grand Slam species…bonefish, permit, and tarpon. Bonefish abound in shallow flats and schools of permit cruise the deeper flats and edges. In October, resident tarpon (about 20 to 60 lbs.) are in abundance and provide great action. In addition, a few of the bigger migratory tarpon are usually still hanging around.

The real beauty of El Pescador fly fishing is how it offers something for all fly fishers…from novice to old salts. Each angler can choose his or her challenge level for the day. Start with the less challenging schools of mudding bonefish then move to the elusive permit and hard charging tarpon for greater challenges.

As El Pescador fishes over 400 square miles of water, there is always new water to fish and lots of options. October is a time of active, less pressured fish which translates to more chances or “shots” for the fly angler.

My next trip to El Pescador is October 20-25, 2018. The package price includes five nights lodging and either three or four days of guiding fishing depending on which package you prefer. If you pick the five night/three day package then the extra day can be used to just relax at the lodge or enjoy one of the mainland tours or other activities (snorkeling, reef fishing, kayaking, and more). Just fly into Belize City and things are taken care of from there. The package price includes the short 15-minute island hopper flight to the small island village of San Pedro and then a short, boat ride to the lodge.

The cost for one or two anglers is only $4735 for the five night/four day package and $4135 for the five night/three day package. This is where one angler pays for the single occupancy package and then the other angler goes FREE! Or two anglers can split this for an unbelievably low price. Discounts for true singles are also available if you want to fish and room alone. Your trip can be customized to your preference in terms of length of stay, number of days fishing, other activities, etc.

This trip has very limited availability and only a few slots remain.

​Please contact me for additional information or to secure one of the remaining slots for you.

 Join me in June 2018 on a trip to Montana that I know will be remembered for all the right reasons. This will be a safe and easy trip to Healing Waters Lodge during one of the best known and consistent super hatches in North America...the salmonfly hatch on the Big Hole River.

The Fishing​: Although many options are available when it comes to the fishing at HWL, the timing of this trip is based on the peak period of the salmonfly hatch on the Big Hole. The Big Hole is over 150 miles of free flowing river set in a remote, sparsely populated valley in southwestern Montana. It is home to a viable population of fluvial Arctic Grayling, one of the very few left in the lower 48 and is a testament to the health and vitality of the river. It is also home to this legendary hatch of giant stoneflies which begins in earnest about mid June. The adult stoneflies (Pteronarcys californica) are big, about 1 to 2 inches in length and epitomize Montana trout fishing...big flies, big rivers, and big fish. This is a well known hatch, so we can expect to see other fly fishers. However other waters, both public and private, can offer more solitude if needed. This includes the Beaverhead, the Ruby, and miles of private water.

Everyone should fish the salmonfly hatch on the Bighole at least a time or two...casting big, dry, stonefly patterns to fish looking up on one of the most beautiful rivers of all!  

​The Lodge: HWL is an Orvis Endorsed Lodge with an ultra-strong following of repeat guests...due in large part to the vast amount of high quality trout water and the excellent job they do of providing the best possible total experience. The lodge sits squarely in the heart of the Ruby Valley...it is large yet conveys an intimate feeling with the landscape. And it provides all one could want for including a hot tub, laundry service, exercise room, casting pond (with trout), a well-stocked fly shop w/loaner gear, pool table, reading room, and a guest business office. They will accommodate any dietary restriction or preference.

The Details:​ Trip dates are June 12-17, 2018. This is a 5 night, 4 days of guided fishing package. June 12 is arrival day. June 13-16 are fishing days. June 17 is departure day. Trip can be customized for a longer period if desired. 

Logistics are easy. Simply fly into Bozeman on one of the major airlines and drive the 1.5 hours to HWL near Twin Bridges. Good roads and scenic driving all the way.

​The cost is $3675 per person based on double occupancy. This is good until December 31, 2017. Prices increase in 2018. 50% deposit required at time of booking with balance due at the end of the trip.

​Included: lodging, meals, guided fishing, beer & wine, loaner fly fishing gear, all terminal tackle including flies, leaders, & tippet, and lodge staff tips.

​Not included: fishing licenses, guide gratuities, private water fees, airfare, & airport shuttles.
​
On the afternoon of 6/12 I will present a short workshop designed to tune-up casting and slack line skills for those who are interested. Similar sessions can be held as needed through the trip.  

​This trip has very limited availability due to the timing of the trip. It is in the high demand season. Book now and reserve your slot with 2017 pricing.

​​Email or Call Steve Hollensed for booking or more information.