SPRING FLY FISHING CLASS COMING UP AT ASU

BY JOHN BERRY

As I write this, I am sitting here in my sunroom looking out at four inches of snow and ice covering my lawn. It is difficult to comprehend but spring is coming up and our fly fishing class is scheduled to begin next week at Arkansas State University. It has been a brutal winter that began early and seems to go on forever. I was wondering what kind of weather we can expect for our class coming up, so I looked up the ten day weather forecast on my computer and noted that we can expect much warmer weather next week (I am expecting highs in the 50s and 60s). I don’t know about the rest of you but I am almost overcome with cabin fever. I am looking forward to spending some time outside the house in warmer weather and this class looks like the perfect opportunity. 

The class is scheduled for Thursday March 13, 20, 27 and April 1, 2014 at the Arkansas State University Mountain Home campus. The class runs from6:00 PM until 8:00 PM each night. The first hour is spent outside learning to cast on the campus lawn and the second hour is spent inside in a classroom. Lori leads the casting and I lead the classroom sessions. We both assist each other when we are not the lead. Lori and I have been teaching this class at ASU for four years and have taught fly fishing at various educational institutions for years before this. 

I always say that the hallmark of our fly fishing class is the fly casting instruction. Lori is a gifted instructor that has been doing this for over a decade. We spend about half of our time working on fly casting and by the time we are finished all of our students know how to cast a fly rod well enough to catch fish. We have never encountered a student that we were unable to teach to cast. 

The classroom instruction is constantly evolving. If I can figure out a way to teach something better or get my point across more clearly, then I will use it. The classroom curriculum is designed to teach you the skills that you will need on stream. We use a simple approach. That is, we teach what is necessary but avoid teaching too much which can cause information overload or confusion. We show you how to tie basic fishing knots, how to rig your rod and fish with four basic techniques (streamers, dry flies, wet flies and nymphs), water safety, basic equipment (what you need and what you don’t need), basic entomology (the study of insects) and reading water. This is a lot of information. 

The good news is that you do not need any fishing equipment to participate in this class. In fact, we suggest that you attend the first class meeting before you buy anything. That way we can recommend the best gear to buy for the money. We have plenty of loaner fly rods for you to use at no charge. Now if you have your own fly rod and reel that you want to use, please bring it. If you have an old rod, that you would like us to evaluate, please bring it and we will share our opinion with you. 

This class would be perfect for a couple that would like to take up a gentle sport that they could share or an individual that wants to try something new. If these sounds like something that you would like to try, contact the Continuing Education Department at Arkansas State University at Mountain Home and enroll. Lori and I look forward to working with you. 

John Berry is a fly fishing guide in Cotter, Arkansas and has fished our local streams for over thirty years.