Smoky Mountain Weekend Fly Fishing Schools
I have taught the Smoky Mountain weekend fly fishing schools for training others since 1987 in Bryson City, NC. Fly fishing has been thru a regression since the mid-90s throughout the United States. Part of this is due to the beaded nymphs and bobber splat anglers that literally stay stuck and never move forward. Sure it is effective for taking fish and can make anyone look like a superstar in short order. It will limit you’re not being able to present proper layouts that match various water currents at a distance.
Practice is often lacking from even the so-called accomplished badge collectors of fly casting disciplines. Competent instructors are also a big fault of the regression in my opinion. Teaching several hundred dates a year is similar to creating a fine wine in that it gets refined over time. Fly casting does define the sport of fly fishing. Most fly fishers fall into the entertainment side of things for trips and destinations as opposed to the improvement of their fly fishing journey through education.
I have observed this even in my own region with Delayed Harvest’s popularity since the early ’90s. Pay and play fisheries of private waters with huge disfigured trout for those living the delusion that “I am great” because of all my hashtags with huge abnormal fish. Who are we kidding? I mean the entertainment crowds would be just as well off staying on a trout pond right? As a professional guide and educator, I have steered my client workload to include those that seek improvement through education over entertainment.
Five Core Components
The five core components include line control (casting & mending), drift, hookset, playing, and landing fish. These five components all have valuable techniques to increase your efficiency on the stream. There are deviations in each depending on the technique implemented. Other topics include a brief history of the sport, reading water, rigging, tactics, techniques, and strategies. The goal of the weekend schools is to cover these topics to increase your skills. All that is needed is a willingness to learn which means bringing a notebook for the various topics.
Itinerary for Smoky Mountain Weekend International Fly Fishing Schools
There are multiple techniques with various facets that make up fly fishing as a whole. All of the schools put a heavy emphasis on fly casting and line control. The itinerary to cover that can be found here. They are designed for professionals to have a crash course with the various tactics from water reading, entomology, strategies of working the water, techniques, tactics, and methods of either nymphing, wet fly, streamer, or dry fly. They begin Friday afternoon to include your travel time to the Smokies and conclude Sunday afternoon. The schools are all-inclusive with the exception of your NCWRC fishing license. They are broken down as a progression because the topics are vast and I feel it is not doing the techniques any justice adding them all into only a few days.
I usually put them on with the order of a series if you will of what I perceive as entry or beginner techniques through more advanced skill sets. I also customize clinics for groups with specific goals. For example, last Fall I ran a Switch and Spey Casting weekend clinic as well as a whitewater rowing clinic. This coming year I decided to offer those in the offseason of the summer months which is out of the trout season.
Take the Journey or Look for “Big Box Chain Entertainment” Schools
Most of the big chain popular fly fishing “brands” pay huge dollars to be the guide of the year, shop of the year, and other ridiculous endeavors which really means nothing at all. If you are into the trendy “entertainment” end of things then, by all means, go find out. I have met thousands of these folks over the years who are near quitting the sport because what they were shown was not sufficient.
If you are serious about truly learning what it will take to achieve greater skill then look no further. I am passionate about sharing it all with those that want it. It is a team effort as I simply facilitate what you will practice gaining huge dividends of fish. Oh yeah, practice is up to you!
Advanced Nymph Fishing Clinic
Location of Bryson City, North Carolina. Covering strategies, tactics, and multiple techniques for learning to trout fish using nymphs. Call for details and dates.
Advanced Streamer Clinic
Location of Bryson City, North Carolina. Covering strategies, tactics, and multiple techniques for learning to trout fish using streamers. Click the link in the heading for information and costs.
Advanced Wet Fly Clinic
Location of Bryson City, North Carolina. Covering strategies, tactics, and multiple techniques for learning to trout fish using wet flies. Wet flies are the most productive technique overall because you can fish them throughout the water column and at a great distance.
Advanced Dry Fly Clinic
Location of Bryson City, North Carolina. Covering strategies, tactics, and multiple techniques for learning to trout fish using dry flies. Dry fly drifts tend to be the pinnacle of the sport and I can assure you that very few fly fishers have truly mastered the layouts to achieve a drift that remains drag-free. Learn all about the cast and line control that catches more trout for your fly fishing adventures.
Advanced Fly Casting Clinic for Single Handed Rods, Switch, and Spey
Location of Bryson City, North Carolina. Covering pause, power, and path for understanding a multitude of layouts with the fly line. The fly casting clinic covers all three methods of single-handed rods, switch, and Spey rods. Learn to execute long-distance line control from roll casts to aerial fly casts. Perfect for improving your personal “perfect practice” regime or pursuing the Certified, Master, or Two-Handed Instructor through the FFI testing procedure. I have a 100% record for candidates who have successfully passed these exams.
Saltwater Fly Fishing School
The Saltwater Fly Schools are located in Bryson City, North Carolina. Covering the saltwater casts and techniques for understanding what it will require to have success fly fishing the salt. Rigging and knots for gaining the necessary leader understanding for salty critters. The biggest complaint from 98% of saltwater captains attempting to guide fly rodders is they cannot cover fish when it counts. This course is designed to teach others what that will entail for taming the wind and hitting your target when it counts! Learn multiple wind casts, quick casts, and tricks for accuracy that will assist you greatly in your next salty adventure.