Dark Waters Fly Shop and Guide Service — Local services in Iron River

What a fantastic experience! Our son got a Dark Waters guide brochure from the fly shop after we stumbled upon it while we were camping in the area. After that, he saved his money for two years, and finally he and his dad went on the trip today. I worried it couldn’t live up to the expectation, but it did! He says it was worth every penny. Seth, the guide, was wonderful! He was attentive, competent, and informative, helping my son (age 9) and husband, neither of whom had ever fly fished, to catch over 50 fish! Our son really appreciated the hands-on instruction, and Seth never hesitated to be in the water and right by them, helping get fish off the line, freeing snags, and working with them as they tried to get the hang of the movements. He provided a great location, the fishing poles, tackle, and instruction. It was our responsibility to provide the necessary clothing. (Try to get your boots, socks, and pants in advance so you’re not scrambling like we did. Those items aren’t super easy to find in the U.P. where the bigger sporting goods stores aren’t as prevalent.) Both husband and son feel that they have gained enough knowledge that they could go out fly fishing on their own in the future. This experience has opened up a whole new world of fishing to them that wasn’t realistic before. Thank you, Seth and Dark Waters! You helped make memories today and laid the foundation for many fishing...

I can't even begin to explain how happy I was to stumble upon Dark Waters fly shop! We were on a 2-week vacation traveling through the U.P. These were unknown waters to me, and I had no idea on where to go and what set up would work best. The guys at the shop were AMAZING! From suggestions on where to fish and what flies to use, to locations to camp with fishing right outside our tent. They even fixed up my fly lines that had weak loops.

At one of the locations suggested, I caught 2 of the biggest fish I have ever caught on a fly rod. All thanks to the suggestions given to me. These guys know what they are doing, super easy to chat with and didn't treat us as "invaders" as often happens in areas with few fly shops. If you are in or around this area, it is a MUST stop to get you set up for the rivers and lakes! Thanks, does not convey my gratitude. (photos 2 Northern Pike caught on 8wt and just a couple photos of the many Brookies caught. All in locations and flies that...

Seth took me on an amazing guided trip. I'm completely new to fly fishing and have never even seen a trout in person before. I'm in the military and a mutual friend of ours recommended I contact seth and he would hook it up. I'm not very good with new people and struggle with PTSD. I drove all the way from detroit for this trip. Seth was an amazing guide. He was patient, and started me off from square one in the shop and went step by step. He not only showed me what to do, but explained to me why we were doing it so I would have a better understanding of the sport. I started off horrible, and he had me roll casting like a champ by the end of the day. First brook trout I caught was a 12 incher! Instantly hooked to this sport. We saw no one on the river all day which was awesome. I will definitely be booking another trip. He even showed me an amazing place to camp afterwards, where I again ran in to no tourists and got to have an amazing time next to a beautiful lake....