Guided fly fishing for service members and veterans

Free guided trips on the Shenandoah River and Lake Anna for active-duty U.S. military members and veterans. Fish from a bass boat, a pontoon, or a cataraft, with instruction when you want it.

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Three ways to fish

Three boats for different water and different days, so the trip can match the season, the conditions, and your experience. Regular trips run on the Shenandoah River and Lake Anna, and custom trips are considered by request.

Bass boat

Half day, about 4 hours

A four-hour Shenandoah River trip well suited to newer fly anglers, boat-casting instruction, and focused time on the water.

Pontoon boat

Full day, about 8 to 9 hours

An approximately eight-to-nine-hour guided trip on Lake Anna with a spacious fishing platform and room to explore different areas of the lake.

Cataraft

Full day, about 8 to 9 hours

An approximately eight-to-nine-hour float on the Shenandoah River for anglers looking for a longer day, moving water, and more extensive fishing opportunities.

Compare the trips

Instruction when you want it

Questions, casting help, fly selection, boat positioning, reading water, and practical fishing techniques are part of the day when you need them. Beginners are welcome, and experienced anglers can spend more time focused on fishing.

Meet the guides

Custom trip requests

Have a destination, a species, or a kind of water in mind that isn't on the regular schedule? You can send a custom trip request. Availability depends on the location, season, conditions, travel, and guide availability.

Request a custom trip

Smallmouth on the fly

The Shenandoah provides changing seasonal opportunities for smallmouth bass and other warm-water species. Learn more about the fishery, seasonal approach, and the flies and techniques used throughout the year.

About the fishery

Safety comes before fishing

Every trip begins with an assessment of weather, water, equipment, and the conditions we are likely to encounter. The goal is a productive day on the water without treating fishing as more important than sound judgment.

Trip safety

Shenandoah River conditions

Review current river stage, streamflow, and recent trends from monitoring stations along the Shenandoah River. Gauge-specific information is provided to help put each reading in context before heading to the water.

River conditions