Testimonials

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My 11-year-old granddaughter was enthusiastic about but inexperienced at fly fishing.  She really needed to just get into some fish.  The consensus at the fly shop was that the solution to this was the shad run.  

Our narrow available date range pointed us to guide Ben Thompson--a complete stranger to me.  I wondered how he would relate to an 11-year old girl, who had tied some shad flies she wanted to try.

This trip was all about Melody being successful with a fly rod in her hand. Ben made that happen.  He had instant rapport with her (and with me).  She was into a fish within our first 10 minutes on the water and we ended with double digits of nice shad to the net for the day, but she caught three on her own flies! She wanted to stop and swim at one point, and Ben found a safe, shallow place to let that happen, showed her how to skip rocks . . . he was totally at ease the whole time.  To top the day off, Ben had set her up with a two fly rig and her final catch was a double!  One shad took her fly, the other took Ben's. The day could not have been a better experience. Lifetimes memories are made with days like this.  Ben is a great guide!

Grandpa Dudley

Ben guided myself and a friend on the Feather River in mid-October. Right from the go I knew that we had a great guide. His passion for the area and knowledge were unmatched. We set our expectations low as for us that is the best way to fish. My buddy has way more flying fishing experience than me but Ben was patient and understanding as I lost some of his rigs and caught and landed some epic fish. 

Ben simply put did everything to put us on fish with a smile on his face all damn day. 

He has a great attitude and I look forward to the next day on the boat. 

Daniel Watson-Weller - San Francisco

I’ve been twice to California; without an opportunity to fly-fish its varied waters... Once our family completed our travel plans, I began earnestly looking for a guide that serviced the area around Sacramento; and I found him!! Mike from “Off-The-Hook Fly-Fishing” listened intently to my aspirations and nailed it by pairing me with Ben Thompson!!
A day on the Yuba and a second day on the Lower Feather, exceeded my hopes!! Ben‘s knowledge and demeanor made for two exhilarating days afloat. Our meals were wonderful and from the comradery came another fly-fishing friend. My sincerest “thanks” to all!!

Respectfully, Lance Weyeneth - St. Clair Shores & Grayling, MI

We had a great day on the water. Ben put us on more fish than we could count.  He is extremely knowledgeable but at the same time down to earth; he answered all our questions with patience and a great sense of humor.   You cannot go wrong with Ben as your guide.

Dan - Sacramento

Great day on the water with Ben. He immediately got us into the Shad on the American River. Very knowledgeable Guide with a very clean boat, and great gear. I would highly recommend a day on the water with Ben.

Matt Sinner

Fishing with Ben Thompson Outfitters was a highlight of my fishing season. From the start of the trip Ben was very professional in preparing us on fly presentation and how to fish the high water flow. He put us on productive drifts and really knows where the fish hold. For a couple novice fly fisherman to boat that many fish really says a lot for how hard he works to produce results and we are looking forward to our next trip. Absolutely top notch! 

Nathan Pollock- Sacramento, CA

I had a great time on the water learning new techniques and types of casting while the guide was still understanding that I had a handicap given I had a full arm cast on. I caught some really hard fighting fish and will definitely want to come back and fish with Ben again.

Andrew Kicks from Texas

I’ve never been the best fishermen, but my experience with Ben was unforgettable. Ben has outstanding knowledge of the water ways he guides and of the fish you are going after. My experience was catered towards my abilities and I was given constructive criticism and useful information as my guided trip went on throughout the day. Ben lead me to feel confident in what I was doing, giving me tips on managing my line,  and showing me proper casting form, I felt safe and it was a great experience. A+ rating, would do another trip with him again. 

Brian Close – Sacramento, CA

My son Luke and I went fly fishing with Ben, and we caught our first steelhead! He is extremely knowledgeable (and patient). We had a great time feeling safe all the way down the river. Thank you Ben! We will be back soon. 

Mike & Luke - Roseville, CA

Ben is the most enthusiastic guide we have ever had. 

Michael D. - Florida

I’m fairly new to fly fishing so when I book a guide I really expect to meet a “seasoned” guide so I can soak in their years of experience.  So I was surprised initially to see that Ben was younger than I imagined he’d be.  It didn’t take long though to see he was an expert who was in tune with all the elements; his boat, his gear, the river and surroundings.  

We were fishing for shad and on this particular day the bite just shut off and the river was higher than the day before due to heavy rain.  Ben never got discouraged or threw the towel in.  He kept us moving from spot to spot until we were on them!   We caught fish after fish until it was almost dark.  It looked as if Ben was having more fun than me and my brother-in-law each time we hooked and landed a fish.  Clearly he’s passionate about his guide service and strives to give his clients what they came for.  I will definitely be coming back to fish with Ben. 

Thanks again. 

John Vine – Sacramento

What can I say?  Ben provided a perfect day of shad fishing on the American River....great conversation, great casting tips, and more fish than my arm could handle.

Christopher Lund - San Francisco, CA

Awesome American river steelhead action!!!! I've been traveling for work over the past 10 years and fishing different spots all over the world. But this trip came out on top! The two sweet drift boats and quality fishing gear performed perfectly! Lots of fun and tons of fish. Ben and Joe (aka "El Presidente") we can’t thank you enough. Hope to be back wrangling monster fish with you guys soon!

Rob aka "trout slayer"- Quebec, Canada

Ben was a great guide! Had a blast. Very easy to work with and showed a lot of patience!

James Koehler - South Carolina