Craig Amacker
Orvis-Endorsed Fly-Fishing Guide at the Gateway to the Driftless Area of Southwest Wisconsin.
100% Customer Satisfaction
has been our commitment since 1856. It’s who we are. If you aren’t happy with a product or service, we want to know about it. And we’ll make it right. That’s the Orvis Way.
Craig Amacker
Orvis-Endorsed Fly-Fishing Guide
- Species: Brown Trout, brook Trout, Smallmouth Bass
- Location: Southwest Wisconsin Driftless Area Spring Creeks
- Personal Highlight: Native to the area with 24 years of guiding experience.
- Rates: Rates start at $300 for Half Day Guide Trips for 1-2 anglers.
- Season: March-October 15
Orvis is pleased to offer our travel customers access to two valuable services: Global Rescue travel membership and IMG Signature Travel Insurance℠.
Learn MoreOur trip begins on the outskirts of Madison, where you'll be transported to the hidden valleys of southwest Wisconsin for a 4–8-hour day of fly fishing the spring creek of choice. We may spend the day on one stream due to long fishing stretches or we may fish two smaller streams. We fish a variety of techniques: dry fly fishing, nymphing, or streamer fishing depending on conditions and hatches. We'll take a break for a streamside lunch halfway through the day on full-day trips depending on hatches and conditions, then we'll fish the rest of the day. After a fun day of fishing, you'll be driven back to our meetup point or your lodging. Included in our trips are use of rods and reels, flies and terminal tackle, fly casting and fly fishing instruction, and a streamside lunch (full-day trips). Bottled water, soft drinks, and snacks are included on both full- and half-day trips. Madison is a good destination if you want to combine your fishing trip with other activities. The area has several top-quality golf courses, four lakes and several rivers for kayaking and canoeing, a diverse assortment of restaurants, and the University of Wisconsin with its top-ranked Badger football team; watch the Big-10 football on Saturday, fish with us on Friday or Sunday.
We specialize in guided walk/wade fly-fishing trips in the Driftless Region of southwest Wisconsin in pursuit of feisty wild brown and brook trout. Our trips aren't just fishing trips; we provide fly-casting instruction and teach clients our home-grown techniques for fishing our streams. Due to the glaciers not going through the area, we have an abundance of rolling hills, hidden valleys, scenic limestone bluffs, and lots of underground springs that pump cold water into the streams, providing an ideal habitat for trout. With all the streams we have access to, we're able to put guests on a picturesque and uncrowded stretch of stream with quality fishing. We also offer scenic river floats for smallmouth bass in mid-summer.
For current rates please go to our website: madisonflyfishing.com
Half Day Guide Trip: $300 for 1-2 Anglers 4 hours of fishing
Full Day Guide Trips: $400 for 1-2 Anglers 8 hours of fishing
Fly Casting Instruction: $100 per person for a 2 hour session"
What does Madison Fly Fishing Company provide on trips?
4-8 hours of guide fly fishing, fly casting and fishing instruction, use of appropriate rods and reels, flies and terminal tackle, lunch and drinks (full-day trips); snack and drinks (half-day trips).
What do guests need to bring?
Clothing appropriate for the weather conditions, waders, rain jacket, polarized sunglasses, hat, Wisconsin fishing license and Inland Trout stamp, camera, and enthusiasm to learn and have fun.
What types of fishing can guests expect to experience?
It depends on the time of year, fish activity, and what insects are hatching. March brings good nymph and streamer fishing, midge and blue-winged olive mayfly hatches. April–May has good mayfly and caddis hatches along with good subsurface fishing. June–July has mayfly and caddis hatches early and small terrestrials. August through September has good hopper fishing. September–October has good nymph and streamer fishing.