Honestly - I was hesitant to give this review.
Not because there’s any doubt that Bryant - and Echo Adventures in general - didn’t deserve it …
It’s ONLY because I selfishly worry that too many people will happen upon this hidden gem.
Seriously, if you’re looking to get into trophy trout fishing in and around the Yosemite area, I'd press you to book Bryant in a heartbeat.
He’s without a doubt the best fly fishing guide we’ve hired. (and we’ve hired MANY)
Because here’s the thing …
There are few fly fishing guides that take on clients in the Yosemite/Tuolumne County area.
There are even fewer that know the “secrets” of this area and where to find good water undisturbed by other fishermen.
Well … Bryant and his team are the select few that do.
You see, my father and I are 20-year fly fishers and we searched for good wild trout waters for years in the area and couldn’t find anything … so we stuck with the more popular waters of NorCal (like the Upper Sac, Mcleod, Pit River, Trinity etc.)
It seemed like anyone we asked about fly fishing in Yosemite and Groveland either 1) Didn’t know a thing or 2) Were being incredibly tight-lipped about it.
Well Bryant is neither of these.
He’s been incredibly generous with showing us the hot spots … taking us to more “remote” areas … and showing us effective strategies for catching those 20”+ trout that are elusive for most.
(He WiLL swear you to secrecy after taking you to some of his hidden spots, however :) )
But equally as impressive as his knowledge of the area is his ability to instruct and turn you into a master fly fisher. As mentioned, we’re long time fly fishermen - which Bryant understood immediately after seeing us fish for the first time - yet we’ve learned something new EVERY time we fished with him.
What’s great is that he can adapt to your level of competence…
So even if you’re a newbie at the start of the day … he’ll know exactly how to "frontload" his knowledge to you so you’re fishing at a more intermediate level by the end.
And if you’re advanced - he’ll undoubtedly show you some insider tricks to up your game.
(For instance, I was pretty good at stack mending and roll casting before Bryant, but after a few suggestions from him I was getting my line out further with less effort)
All-in-all, I couldn’t recommend a more patient and knowledgeable fly fishing guide than Bryant.
In fact, his entire company (including his wife Elizabeth who handles all the bookings and admin work) is a pure joy to work with.
So if you’re coming out this way and want to get into some serious fish - hire him fast. (assuming he isn’t booked already)