Yellowstone 2025 Volunteer Fly Fishing Program -Waitlist Only

Yellowstone National Park Volunteer Fly Fishing Program - 2025 

This opportunity is for high level intermediate and advanced fly fishers only with considerable hiking and the required skills to assist the grad students and biologists with native fish restoration and sustainability in Yellowstone National Park waters. This conservation work program will provide opportunities for up to six (6) individuals to participate. from August 18 -21, 2025.

This program is currently full with all participant's from 2024 invited back by the Park.  It is expected that we may have cancellations prior to this trip so replacements will be selected from the waiting list.

This trip is to once again return to Grebe and Wolf lakes in the Yellowstone backcountry where we will be camping for four days.  It is not for the faint of heart, and will involve significant hiking of up to 30 miles total over the four days.     We are not sure of exactly where we will be fishing each day in support of the program so strong familiarity with all types and styles of fly fishing are a necessity (creeks, large rivers, lakes, dry, dry dropper, euro, indicator, and streamer, etc.).  Also please be aware that you will be fishing in areas heavily populated with wildlife including bison, bears, wolves, moose, mountain lions, and others so familiarity with safety requirements and bear spray is a must.

Note that this is not a sponsored TVFF trip; it is notification for those interested in volunteering their service and working for YNP during the event.

The Yellowstone Volunteer Fly Fishing Program has confirmed their open dates for this year and has requested TVFF’s assistance again in 2025 on a new task.  There were over 400 volunteers who registered for the program with only 64 session slots available in 2024 (4 individuals per slot). Thus, we were fortunate to be invited back and were closely evaluated on our fishing success in 2024 as a qualifying factor to assist the program with their goals.

Participants on these programs  will need to be fully self-sufficient with your own food and higher-level fishing skills as this is not a guided event.  This is a conservation work event for the benefit of the park’s native trout program, and not a casual fishing outing.  You should make your decision appropriate to the actual work required, which is substantial, but rewarding.

You must register HERE before January 31, 2025 in order to secure a potential spot on our waitlist. TVFF submitted our formal application on January 4, 2025 and will amend that if we have any cancellations from those already registered. 

What do you need to do?  

1. Confirmed dates for our conservation event:  
2. Number of attendees:  maximum of seven (8) 
3. Participant Selection: participants will be selected by Rob Farris, in concert with the Yellowstone Volunteer Fly Fishing Program manager, based upon their abilities to meet the following requirements and guidelines:.
4. Taking your own camping gear will likely require that you drive to the park (we will carpool if possible). 
5. Your request to participate must be accompanied by a $41.20 nonrefundable deposit which we will collect on our website with the full details.  The amounts collected will secure your registration and will be donated to the Native Trout program with Yellowstone Forever at the conclusion of our trip. 
6. Additional fishing opportunities:  You can either front-end the trip or stay after and fish any of the other park waters, or perhaps chase the Wyoming Cutthroat Slam as you wish.  Both pre and post fishing will be unplanned and up to each participant, although I will communicate what my personal plans are, and you are welcome to join me if it fits your agenda. 
7. Please note that there are other 2 day non camping conservation slots similar to what TVFF participated in last year.  I will not be organizing those events, but I can send you the information, dates (July 8 – September 12), and application form if you are interested (same application date of 1/6/24).  You will need to plan your trip and submit those applications on your own (although I will try to get them prioritized by the Program).  Call me if you are interested in these. 
8. Please note the following recommended considerations from the Yellowstone Volunteer Fly Fishing Program for those planning on participating:
9. "Your Health and Conditioning:  You must be able to hike at least 3 miles with moderate elevation gains, at a moderate pace.  If you volunteer and cannot do this, you'll force the rest of our group to proceed more slowly, causing us to take more time to reach our fishing destinations and therefore leaving us with less time to fish and to collect our data. 
10. Your Fly-Fishing Ability: YFFVP volunteers will, ideally, be proficient fly fishers with all-around skills.  This program is not intended for fly-fishing beginners.  And it is not a "guided" fly fishing trip.  Are you competent fishing dry flies, wet flies, nymphs, and streamers both in still-water environments as well as rivers and creeks?  We need to catch as many as possible, to provide Yellowstone's biologists with as much data as possible.  So, if you're a fly fisher who only fishes dry flies, you won't be able to contribute if the fish are only eating nymphs.  And vice versa.  This is true for all the fly-fishing disciplines.   
11. The YFFVP is Not a Normal Fly-Fishing Trip: We often fish designated sections of rivers and creeks which are shorter in length than we'd normally fish with a group of anglers outside the program.  We will fish very close to each other (spatial etiquette is not important among members of our YFFVP group).  We will be limited to where we can fish, so you can't decide to leave our beat or move to another location without the group.   
12. You're Donating to Yellowstone's Native Fish: The YFFVP's budget is small.  We cannot provide or pay for housing for our volunteers.  You must pay for your own lodging to participate in the program.  YFFVP volunteers are also expected to pay for their Yellowstone National Park entrance fees, fishing license, food, drinks, and any other expenses incurred while participating in the program. 
13. You need to Be Flexible: The YFFVP is constrained by many factors:  weather, water conditions, dealing with wild animals, safety concerns, and other things.  While we do our best to provide you with as much information as possible at the earliest dates possible, things that are beyond our control will force us to change plans.   
14. You need to Be Committed to the Program:  None of us know with certainty what will be occurring in our lives during the summer of 2024.  Plans change.  Life happens.  But please do not apply for next year's program unless you are sure, with the information you have at this time, that you'll be able to participate.  Some volunteers with the best of intentions will most likely have to cancel next year.  That's ok.  But no one should apply unless they are planning to participate. “ 

Registration and Costs:

Registration is currently open for qualified fly fishers for 2024.  Your registration here secures your working position for the program once your non refundable deposit is submitted ($41.20)  which will be donated to the Native Trout program with Yellowstone Forever at the conclusion of the program.

Contacts:

For more information please contact Rob Farris, (925)286-5502; RFFarris@comcast.net

TVFF Cancellation Policy

To sign-up for a TVFF Event  that is currently open for registration and chargeable (as set by the Fishmeister), you must both register and pay online, or via check or cash, within two weeks of registering (sent to the TVFF Treasurer) whatever fee is described for that particular Event (trip) at the time of registration. There may be multiple payments required before the trip is actually taken (usually in the case of expensive trips), but it is necessary that you do make payment in the above timely fashion for the initial amount to secure your position on the trip.  However, please note that you are still responsible for the entire amount of the trip if you should need to cancel. 

Once you are registered, there are no refunds for chargeable Events and trips.  In the situation that a member is, for any reason unable to attend, they may resell their registration slot to another TVFF member (by first pulling from the waitlist if one exists).  New participants must come first from the waitlist in the order they signed up.  The member cancelling is fully and solely responsible for contacting potential members to replace them and notifying the appropriate Fishmeister.

If an event/trip is fully registered and closed to registration, you may still sign up on the Wait List to be notified if there are any cancellations.  In such a case of registering provisionally on the Wait List, you do not have to pay until such time that you clear the Wait List and are confirmed for participation.