Wild Trout Safaris Alaska Trips

I had no idea what an incredibly fulfilling experience I was in for when I first took Mike's class 7 years ago. I didn't think anything could top the Advanced fall classes to the Box and Yellowstone, but to me the Extreme Class is what taught me that a fishing trip can be an "experience". It's more then the fishing - which by the way is fantastic in these classes. It's about standing by somebody you know when a fish strips your line down to the backing. It's all about visiting some of the most beautiful country in this world - much of which we are too busy to realize exists.
-Jeff Nielsen

The moniker "Extreme Fishermen" does get you appropriately and properly mocked by your teenage neices. Truth be known this group definitely is extremely talented at their angling capabilities and impressive equipment ownership.

But my observation and description of their heart-winnig extreme behavior is: Chivalry, patience, sense of humor, fun-loving, snake-fearing, eating and drinking, including everyone, teasing everyone, never taking yourself too seriously (even about seriously smelly issues), open mindedness and open heartedness, willing to give up your pontoon-share your georgeous cabin-bake cookies and cook dinner for everyone, birthday celebrating, bravery and balance in tetering on a cliff-side-rock for the perfect picture, and last but not in the least family discussing, missing and loving.

Mike's approach breaks down every fundamental skill into manageable
techniques that everyone can learn at their own pace from a beginner skill
level all the way up the ranks to what I would call Master Level fishermen. In the beginning course we learned casting, fly selection for all seasons as well as Mike's proven techniques eliminating days or years of frustration on the.river. We were instructed in how to construct leaders, strike indicatore and tie fly patterns. We learned how to screen the river to match the exact bugs that fish are feeding. Mike took everyone to local rivers to polish our skills. He ensured that everyone had the chance to catch a fish.

Finally, the ultimate fly fishing experience is Mike's Extreme Class. This course has to be the "Deal of the Century". This class has 8 scheduled
trips ranging from catching trout in the San Juan in New Mexico, Steelhead in Idaho to bass fishing in Oregon. This course is where you will graduate and join a team of Master Level fishermen who all have the same love affair with consistently catching fish in any weather/water
condition.

"Extreme Fly-fishing and Life-Long-Learning"I was fortunate enough to have met Mike in the Beginning Class in 2009. There we learned subtle techniques that Mike has perfected over a lifetime of catching fish. Now I'm "BORN" into a journey of Life-Long-Learning!

Mike has many"Red Hat" helpers for the river days to see that each individual has the necessary one-on-one assistance needed to help get hooked-up. Mike's Advanced Class truly takes it to a whole new level. We compound what we have already learned with strategies of dry fly, streamer fishing and many other techniques required to fish more technical waters. Again, Mike and Mickey go the extra mile to provide everyone with the needed skill sets and most importantly the hands on time in real fishing conditions on rivers and on still waters. Mike and Mickey take you on a journey to some beautiful destinations that they have researched extensively and they teach the necessary patterns and techniques that work at all skill levels. This course is a must see!

This group of fishermen have all experienced the thrill of landing big fish and I'm convinced that they get more satisfaction in helping new members catch and land fish at destinations that they otherwise would have never experienced without the Extreme Class. This course pushes the limits of skill but be assured that Mike and the Extreme Team are all there along with you in the journey of Life-Long-Learning. -Tom Martin

The 2009 Extreme Class was awesome! This was my first year in the Extreme Class. In the beginning I had a few concerns about taking the class: who was I going to fish with, finances / travel, my fishing skill level (compared to everyone else), etc. After the first trip to the Gallatin River in January, all my concerns were resolved. Mike hooked me up with some of the other new club members, and we became friends quickly. Before each trip we meet together as a group to talk about the logistics of the trip, what fishing techniques we will use, what flies we'll need on the river, etc. It was great to be able to get a feel for what to expect on the trip, and you automatically get grouped up with others for traveling / lodging. The group is very laid back, and we have a lot of fun....there is a lot of story telling, bantering, joking around, etc. It's great to see our group out on the river together. Everyone helps each other out, and we all root for each other to catch as many fish as possible.

I've always enjoyed fishing new rivers, but when I've gone out on my own I've never had much success. This club provides the opportunity to experience new (and amazing) rivers to fish, and it takes all the guess work out of the process. I know it sounds cheesy, but the thing that I value most about this class are the relationships. I've made some life-long friends this year through the class. It's always great to make new friends....especially when they are always calling me to go out fishing with them!!