The School of FlyFishing is not age or gender "specific." If you like to fish, have an interest in getting yourself and/or family member(s) a good solid start in how to fly fish, or improve existing knowledge & skills, our courses will benefit you. If you have "tried" fly fishing, or perhaps have fished a little bit using this method, or have acquired the basic skills, we will be a big help in refining, adding to and expanding your proficiency. The small class size at our Outdoor Courses (maximum 8 students) allows us to be attentive to each individual's needs. For both Self-Study & Outdoor Courses, we suggest children be not younger than 12, and be "attentive", regardless of their age. Even if you have no previous fishing experience, that won't inhibit your ability to learn to fly fish. Families are perfect. Perhaps 30-40% of our students are female.
Indoor, self-study Courses are available by textbook and on CD. The Outdoor Courses, unless indicated otherwise, regardless of location, are geared toward those who have had little or no experience in fly fishing. The Course location you choose will depend on your preferences as to: (1) what types of fishing is of most interest (Black Hills focuses on small streams, creeks & beaver ponds; SW Montana on big rivers, alpine creeks & lakes; Minnesota on big lakes, rivers and huge fish); (2) what species of fish are important (Black Hills = Brown & Brook Trout; Montana = Rainbow, Cutthroat, Brown & Brook Trout; Minnesota = Northern Pike, Large & Smallmouth Bass; (3) and the consideration of available activities for other non-students who may wish to accompany you (Black Hills & Montana are very "family vacation" oriented.) For more complete details of the actual curriculum for each course, see the respective descriptions: Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota
Rubbish! Anyone with the will to learn, can. There is no "magic" to it, other than it is does employ a very different set of tools and casting dynamics than other angling methods. But it is not as hard as it looks. (It's kind of like learning to ride a bike.) The biggest concern with beginners is casting. We promise that if you have just normal agility in your arms, shoulders and wrists, that we will be able to get them coordinated together to allow you to cast a fly line. It is a "getting-hooked-on" kind of sport, so understand once you've "got the bug", you're on your own.
Get used to "bugs" if you're going to become a fly fisher. Fish eat bugs; bugs are everywhere fish are; bugs are everywhere; and we are in the business of trying to fool the fish into thinking we have real bugs at the end of our fly lines. (The bugs you see here are a cross-section of immature insects called nymphs that many of our freshwater fish eat, and which you will learn about at The School of FlyFishing.)
Just like learning to ride a bike, you've got to learn how before you do it. Our primary goal at both outdoor and Self-Study courses is to prepare you with all the necessary skills to allow you to catch fish with flies. We do have real, live, wild (and BIG) fish at all course venues. Depending on circumstances and needs of students, we will be "on the water", fishing over native fish during significant portions of all classes. In SW Montana, we use the Big Hole River, Canyon Creek, or 6 alpine lakes (Brown, Cutthroat, Rainbow & Brook Trout); in South Dakota, we use several trout streams, creeks and public/private ponds (Brown, Brook & Rainbow Trout); in Nebraska, we use small "warmwater" private/public ponds (bass, panfish & trout); in Minnesota, large & small lakes & the Ottertail River are the setting (Walleye, Bass & panfish). At all locations, fishing outside of the course is on an extended stay basis is a key attraction, and we help you with those arrangements if you wish.
The course location and dates you select are solely a matter of your personal preferences. We conform our instruction to the various locales in which we teach the courses, but the fundamentals are still the same. At the present, Outdoor Courses take place in the spring and summer months, so weather considerations are not a factor. For most people, courses taught in the Black Hills of South Dakota, and in Montana, may justify additional commitment of time in order to experience the other amenities of the area.
The School provides both Self-Study and outdoor fly fishing courses. The Outdoor Courses are seasonal (spring & summer); the Self-Study Courses are offered continuously by textbook and on CD, allowing you to take courses whenever and wherever you wish. If you take Self-Study sessions, what you learn puts you that much further ahead when you do participate in an Outdoor Course. One significant area that is not able to be fully covered indoors is flycasting, and by having several Self-Study Courses "under your belt" prior to attending Outdoors, you are able to spend more time on this skill development, and then on to actual presentation.
The School charges tuition for its courses. All that is required to enroll is a simple registration. The Outdoor Course tuition is based upon 2-4 days of personalized instruction. Depending on the course location and what accommodations (lodging & meals) are included, tuition varies. Many families attend these sessions, and a discount applies to multiple members of the same family. (For full particulars, see the Outdoor Courses.) For current course listings and tuition, see the Course Compendium.
"How do I pay for the School ... ?"
Students may pay tuition by credit card (AMX, VISA or Mastercard) using the secure online service, via Pay Pal, or, by personal or company check. Payment details are covered at the time you register for your course(s).
TITE LOOP is the flycasting training aid developed by The School. It is a simple, specially-designed silicone wristband that gently restrains a flycaster from the use of too much wrist when flycasting. It fosters a shorter, more compact casting stroke and results in a tighter fly line loop, resulting in a more efficient cast. It is used as a training tool in our Outdoor Courses and is available from The School's Tackle Shop and other retailers.
"I'm not a beginner, what course is best for me ... ?"
Due to the small number of students, 6-8, we accommodate for our Our Outdoor Courses, we are able to "mix" students with differing skill/experience levels. Individual attention is given to each individual's needs. We also offer 3 different types of courses that are suited to beginning, intermediate and advanced anglers. These are identified by the "Degree of Difficulty" designations found in the course descriptions.
"Do I have to bring my own equipment ... ?"
No. The only thing you need to attend an Outdoor Course is a genuine desire to learn how to fly fish and comfortable/suitable clothing. We provide everything else you will need. When your registration is confirmed, we will ask you about your tackle needs. You may bring your own rod outfit, order one ahead of time so that it is available when you arrive at the course, or use one of our outfits. One of our objectives is to teach you what you need (while advising what you don't), so it is not necessary to purchase, for example, a rod outfit ahead of a course only to learn it may not be the best choice for your particular fly fishing. We are not in the primary business of selling tackle, equipment, etc. Rather, we provide the knowledge and skills necessary to make the correct decisions about your needs in this area.
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