If you haven’t heard about it yet, Orvis is offering FREE fly-fishing lessons through programs called Fly Fishing 101, which teaches fly casting and outfit rigging. These small classes are held at Orvis stores and participating fly shops in 37 states and Canada, so chances are there’s one near you. Graduates can move on to FF201, which includes a short outing on the water for a chance to catch your first fish. (A nominal fee may apply.)
Here’s a report and some photos we received from Federation of Fly Fishers Certified Casting Instructor Duber Winters, who helped teach classes at the Richmond, Virginia, Orvis store last weekend:
We had a brave group of 11 students attend the Fly Fishing 101 class on Saturday. Even though the weather forecast called for “very wet” conditions, this group was raring to go. While all attendees were brand-new to the sport, they were anxious to learn, and we broke into our groups of rigging and casting sessions. Everyone in the group really excelled, and many signed up with great anticipation for the Fly Fishing 201 events coming up.
Sunday’s group was smaller (due to inclement weather) with 6 students in attendance, so this time we kept everyone in one group which worked out very well. We started in the store with the rigging session and then went out for the casting session. Although it was a small group, they were very attentive and were soon casting tight loops! The group was very diverse, consisting of a retired couple, a construction worker in his thorties, a Department of Defense employee from Washington, a sales professional from Virginia Beach, and an 11-year-old young man who picked up a fly rod for the very first time on that Sunday.
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