Trip Planning

Custom Corporate Fly Fishing Packages: Pricing and Add-Ons

Daniel Bowman Updated October 2, 2026 10 min read

What does a custom corporate trip include?

Every Bowman corporate trip starts from the same base, and the custom part is what you add around it.

The base, from Bowman's corporate page:

• Private water. Your group has the river to itself, with no public anglers.
• All gear for every guest. Rods, reels, flies, waders and boots.
• Expert instruction. Bowman says most of its corporate groups have never fly fished, and its guides are trained to teach complete beginners while keeping experienced anglers busy.
• Guides who have fished widely. Bowman's guides have worked in Alaska, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Louisiana and Patagonia, as well as North Georgia.

The custom layer is where the day gets shaped to your group. Bowman lists three premium add-ons by name, and describes a wider concierge service for premium groups.

What do the two base trips cost?

The prices are "starting at" figures, so a custom package is quoted to your group. Here is what the base trip alone comes to at a few group sizes:

Corporate pricing starts at 4 people. A company group of 2 or 3 books at Bowman's standard day rates instead: a half day for three on the Etowah is $675, for example. All standard rates are on the rates page.

Not included either way: each angler's Georgia fishing license and trout license, and the guides' tip.

What does the private chef add-on look like?

Bowman can arrange a private chef to cook for the group. Bowman describes "a private chef preparing a three course lunch on the river," and says it works with a private French chef and several others who can prepare a streamside lunch or a dinner after the fishing.

This is the add-on that changes the feel of the day most. A three-course lunch at the water's edge turns a fishing trip into an event, and it gives a group a long, unhurried hour to talk, which is often the point of the outing.

Two ways groups use it:

1. On a full day. The full day already includes a streamside lunch. A private chef upgrades it.
2. After the fishing. A private dinner gives a client trip or a leadership retreat a natural second half.

What is a vineyard finish?

Bowman's private Etowah water runs through Montaluce Winery, a working vineyard near Dahlonega. Bowman says it can arrange wine tastings after the trip, and private dinners.

That pairing works well for client entertainment. The day starts with fishing on private water and ends with a tasting at the same property. It also suits a group where not everyone wants to fish all day, because the winery gives the afternoon a second focus.

Can Bowman help with lodging?

For overnight trips, Bowman says it doesn't operate lodging itself but works with several properties in the area, recommends options based on group size and budget, and helps coordinate.

For a retreat, that matters. The hard part of a two-night trip for 12 people is usually finding one place that sleeps everyone and sits within reach of the water. Tell Bowman the headcount, how many rooms you need and your budget, and it will point you to options.

What does full concierge coordination cover?

Beyond the three named add-ons, Bowman describes a wider service for premium groups: "full concierge coordination," including private chef arrangements, vineyard finishes and lodging recommendations. Bowman also mentions helping coordinate masseuses and dinner reservations, among "a suite of other concierge services."

Bowman says it has organized everything from intimate client dinners on the riverbank to multi-day corporate retreats for twenty. Its promise to planners is plain: tell it your group, your goals and your timeline, and it handles the rest. As Bowman puts it, "Your only job is showing up."

If your event needs something not on that list, ask. Bowman's offer stays open-ended: "Tell us your vision and we'll make it happen."

How does the day run on the water?

A corporate day follows the same rhythm whatever the add-ons.

1. Arrival. Your group meets the guides at the water at the time Bowman sends ahead. Anyone without gear gets fitted with waders and boots.
2. A short lesson. Bowman's promise to beginners: "Never held a fly rod? We'll teach you in 20 minutes." Beginners learn together, which is often the first moment the group relaxes.
3. Split into small groups. With a guide for every two or three people, the group spreads out along the private water.
4. Fishing. The guides coach, change flies, and net fish. Every fish is released.
5. Lunch. On a full day, a streamside lunch; with the chef add-on, a three-course meal at the river.
6. The finish. Back to the vehicles, or on to a tasting at Montaluce if you added the vineyard finish.

Photos come with Bowman's trips, which tends to matter to a company: a picture of the CFO holding a trout travels further than a group shot at a restaurant.

Why choose fly fishing over golf or an escape room?

Bowman's own pitch is direct: "Forget golf courses and escape rooms." Its argument is that fly fishing levels a group. Nobody arrives as the expert, so titles matter less, and people end up helping each other with casts and knots. Bowman describes the executive who rarely speaks up coaching a new hire on her back cast.

A few practical points support that:

• Skill doesn't divide the group. Golf rewards people who already play. On a guided fishing day, the beginner and the regular both have a guide.
• The pace leaves room to talk. Fishing has natural pauses, and a streamside lunch gives a full hour.
• It's a private setting. Your group has the water to itself, which suits a conversation you don't want overheard.

For a fuller comparison, see client entertainment: fly fishing vs golf.

Which package fits which purpose?

Bowman builds the day around your goals, whether that's a leadership retreat, client entertainment or celebrating a big quarter. Here is how the pieces tend to fit each purpose:

These are starting points, not fixed packages. The quote comes from what you ask for.

What do real group budgets look like?

To make the numbers concrete, here are three example groups priced from Bowman's published base rates. Add-ons are quoted separately, so they are listed but not priced.

A client day for four (a host and three clients). A half day at $190 per person comes to $760. Add a vineyard finish at Montaluce afterward. Licenses for four run $80 to $100, depending on whether they are residents or visitors.

A team day for 12. A full day at $260 per person comes to $3,120, with a streamside lunch included. Upgrade to a private chef's three-course lunch if you want the meal to be the centerpiece.

A leadership retreat for eight over two nights. A full day of fishing at $260 per person comes to $2,080. Bowman coordinates lodging from properties it works with, and a private chef can cook a dinner after the fishing. Lodging and chef are quoted to the group.

In each case, the tip is separate. The customary range in guided fishing is 15 to 20% of the trip cost. On the $3,120 team day, that is $468 to $624.

How many guides does a group need?

Bowman says it regularly hosts groups of 20 or more. For larger groups it brings multiple guides and can spread the group across different sections of private water so everyone has room. For groups over 20, it builds a custom plan.

Bowman says it pairs one to three anglers with each guide, with two as the ideal. So a group of 12 typically means four to six guides on the water, and a group of 20 means seven to ten.

Because each guide works with a small cluster, a mixed group sorts itself out. A seasoned angler and a first-timer can fish the same morning, each with the right amount of coaching. Bowman puts it simply: "Everyone catches fish. Everyone has a good time."

How far ahead should you book?

Bowman recommends booking corporate groups at least 5 to 6 weeks out, especially for spring and fall, its peak seasons. It says it can sometimes take shorter notice.

A custom package with add-ons deserves more room than that. A private chef, a winery dinner and lodging for a group each have their own calendars. If your date is fixed, such as a board meeting or a quarter-end celebration, start the conversation as early as you can, and give Bowman two or three date options.

Weather alone rarely moves a corporate date. Bowman calls off a day only for danger: lightning, floods or severe cold.

How do you request a quote?

Use the request form on Bowman's corporate page, or call (706) 963-0435. Bowman asks for your headcount and dates. To speed things up, include:

1. The purpose, such as client entertainment, a team day or a retreat.
2. Headcount, and how many have fished before.
3. Dates, with a backup or two.
4. Half day or full day.
5. Add-ons you're interested in: private chef, vineyard finish, lodging, or anything else.
6. Budget, if you have one, so the quote fits it.

After a corporate request, Bowman says it will call within 24 hours "to learn more about your group and design a custom experience."

What does your group need to bring?

Bowman keeps the list short: each angler's Georgia fishing license, a change of clothes to leave in a vehicle, and polarized sunglasses if they have them. Bowman provides all rods, reels, flies, waders and boots, and sends a detailed packing list after booking. Guests can bring their own gear, but don't need to.

Licenses are sold online through Go Outdoors Georgia. A Georgia resident pays $15 for the fishing license plus $10 for the trout license, $25 for the year. A visitor can buy both for a single day for $20. Anyone under 16 needs no license. Collect licenses before the trip; a reminder in the invite saves a scramble on the morning.

Is a corporate fishing trip tax deductible?

A fishing outing for clients is generally treated as entertainment for federal tax purposes, and IRS Publication 463 says entertainment expenses are generally not deductible. Food that is billed separately may be deductible as a business meal, and some employee recreation is treated differently. The rules turn on who attends and how the costs are billed, so ask your accountant. Bowman's corporate fly fishing tax guide walks through the details.

What questions should a planner settle first?

Before you request a quote, a few internal decisions make the conversation shorter:

• Who is the day for? Clients, your own team, or both. A client day leans toward a half day and a vineyard finish; a team day can carry a full day.
• Is attendance optional? If some people won't fish, a winery tasting or a chef's dinner gives them a reason to come.
• Who collects licenses? One person chasing everyone a week before saves time on the morning.
• Who pays the tip? Decide whether the company covers it, so guests aren't left guessing at the end of the day.
• Is there a work session? If the trip includes a meeting, plan it around the fishing, not inside it.

Where can you read more?

• Team building fly fishing trip planning, for internal team days.
• Executive retreat fly fishing in North Georgia, for leadership groups.
• Client entertainment: fly fishing vs golf, for hosting clients.

Daniel Bowman

Owner & Head Guide · Bowman Fly Fishing

Daniel has guided fly fishing trips in North Georgia for more than 10 years. He runs Bowman Fly Fishing with a team of 10 guides on the Toccoa, Soque, Etowah, Noontootla, and Tuckasegee — including private water access most anglers never get to fish.