Reviews

Want to see what other customers have said about their experience with me? I have recently switched to the Google Reviews platform. Check it out to read recent reviews or leave your own. Want to dig a little deeper? Until late 2021, I used the platform on the Orvis website for my reviews and I have archived them in this Gallery.

~ ‘Second time out with Rob. Super cool, laid back guide. Very knowledgeable. Great quick lesson/heads up before you start fishing. Hard working guide that’s able to answer your questions regarding casting, positioning, flies, local flora, fauna and history. Made a great streamside lunch, and accommodated my girlfriend’s vegetarian request. Can’t recommend him enough!’

~ ‘Rob Fightmaster is the consummate professional: personable, knowledgeable, and patient. We talked about everything from stream entomology to park and stream history, to SEC football! He knows his stuff, and is an excellent guide and a patient coach as well. His gourmet streamside lunch was as good as the rest of the package: excellent! And we caught some beautiful fish along the way. I highly recommend Fightmaster Fly Fishing. Come expecting a great experience. You will not be disappointed.’

Rob is amazing at what he does. I booked a trip during my birthday in July. I know, who catches fish in July? Well, Rob knew where to go, and we had an awesome time walking up the rivers and finding fish in pools of water you would never suspect. He is a great teacher and is awesome at what he does. If you book a trip with him, you will not be disappointed. Oh, and the lunch was awesome.

Eric Rodriguez

2021-11-26

We’ve been on 3 trips with Rob Fightmaster , each in a different season (September, July, November), and I can’t begin to describe what an outstanding guide he is. He tailors the trip to client preferences, is an excellent teacher, and has unlimited patience. Also, the sandwiches/sides he provides for the creek side lunch are splendid. He has extensive knowledge about the GSMNP as well how to fly fish across settings and species. Rob has been instrumental in the development of our fly fishing skills and interest in the sport. We couldn’t recommend him more highly.

Sloane Sparks

2021-11-24

What a great time we had with Rod at Tremont in the GSMNP in mid-November. The fishing was slow but everything else about the day was fantastic. And Rob was very patient with two smallmouth bass fly-fishers from NKFF and taught us about the very picky trout in the park. I would recommend Rob Fightmaster as a guide anywhere,

Michael J Arnold

2021-11-23

Beautiful mountain scenery, entertaining, authoritative and helpful guide/coach, and a picnic lunch well worth looking forward to. Fishing with Rob is a treat that any fly fisherman/fisherwoman, of any skill level, should do.

thaddeus dunn

2021-11-20

I have fished with Rob several times over the past few years and I highly recommend him. He is polite, professional, safety conscious, and knows how to find and catch fish. He also supplies and assists you with all the equipment needed. Having no previous experience with guided fly fishing when I started, I didn’t know what to expect and anticipated that I would look and feel like the beginner that I was. Rob explained every detail and took as much time as I needed to learn more than I could ever imagine and we caught fish all day. He quickly put my concerns to rest as he concentrated on helping me enjoy the trip and improve my fly fishing skills. Each trip seems like a new learning adventure of every detail and I realize that my skills are improving. A day in the mountains always passes quickly. Don’t pass up the opportunity to meet Rob and fish with him.

Greg Phillips

2021-11-13

Rob is an exceptional guide. I’ve fished with him several times and always had a ton of fun and learned a lot. Rob knows GSMNP and the area intimately. Whether you want to hike in to fish for Brook trout way off the beaten path or enjoy the ample easily accessible water, Rob has you covered. He’s also a great teacher - whether it’s your first time out or you’ve been fly fishing all your life, Rob will make you better. Plus, he’s just a lot of fun to spend time with. Can’t recommend him highly enough.

William Umphres

2021-11-10

Completely satisfied and highly recommended! I did a full day guided backcountry trip with Rob over a wet fall Saturday. He met all my expectations for a first time trip to the Smokies. Rob called me a few days before the trip and we tailored the trip according to weather and what I was looking for. Link up was seamless and within a few minutes we were in the Park heading towards our desired location. It was a backcountry trip so we hiked a couple of miles to get where we needed. Rob gave me a brief orientation to fly fishing in the Smokies and off we went. Rob coached me throughout the trip and he was able to put me on my first trout in the Smokies. In addition to putting me on fish Rob is a great conversationalist and I thoroughly enjoyed spending a day with him despite the adverse weather. I’ll definitely be reaching out to Rob for his services again. Thanks!

Gary Pickens

2021-11-02

I took a fly fishing course with Rob and he had me ready to go out on my own within two sessions. I also went on a guided fish with him last year and had a great time. Definitely give him a shot.

Josh Hepperly

2021-11-01

Rob is just an excellent guide. He has a wealth of knowledge and the heart of a teacher. I learned more in one trip with him than I could have possibly gathered on my own in years. Not to mention catching a bunch of fish. Rob is the kind of guy that is just fun to hang out with and a great guy to fish with. Highly recommended.

Ed Steinhauser

2021-10-31

We retained Rob's services for a 2 day trip to fish for Smoky Mountain Trout. He is an experienced guide with superb knowledge of the techniques one needs for many types of fishing. Demonstrating the mark of an excellent guide, he asked a lot of questions about our expectations, listened attentively, and then continued to listen throughout the second day with flexibility. With this attentiveness, flexibility and knowledge he developed a straight forward approach that taught us skills that we will take with us into the future, not just when he was standing next to us. Thank you, Rob, for moving us so much further forward.

Nancy Stanforth

2021-10-26

Reviews