The Orvis Fly Fishing School Turns 60
more flexible, which makes casting the centerpiece of the fishing experience. New fly fishers learn how to cast back and then forward in a rhythmic fashion that many anglers describe as therapeutic or relaxing.
After lunch, the students head across the street to the Orvis pond to practice their casting.
“ We spend a lot of time on the pond across the street casting. That’ s the primary skill we’ re looking to teach someone,” Leard said. Students get a lot of guidance as they learn how to cast. The Fly Fishing School has a 4:1 student to teacher ratio.
When hiring instructors, Orvis focuses both on a candidate’ s ability to teach casting and other aspects of the sport as well as the candidate’ s ability to work with people.
The Fly Fishing School’ s time tested and hands-on approach does not mean they shy away from modern technology as a teaching tool.
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“ In our two-day schools, we will actually videotape you casting. Then we’ ll analyze the video with you. Show you where things could improve or highlight things that you do well,” Kutzer said.
“ We want to show folks that you can fly fish for anything. Most people associate fly fishing with just trout fishing. But you can catch everything from panfish in a local pond to offshore fish. If you can catch it with the spinning rod, you can pretty much catch it with a fly rod,” Kutzer continued, noting that the pastime of saltwater fly fishing has grown rapidly in recent years.
Students start day two with a more extensive discussion of the gear they will need for fly fishing. They will learn how to tie flies and knots. They will learn how to tie a leader, a piece of monofilament fishing line that connects the fly fishing line and the fly itself. The leader is designed to present the fly properly for the fish. Students will learn how to use snips to cut line. They will learn about the gear necessary for fly fishing in rivers, including waders and boots.
Then comes what Leard calls“ the bug talk.”
“ We talk about insects and flies and get into a little more about the fish themselves and how to catch them. About the flies that we use,” Leard said.
After lunch on the second day, the group heads down to the Battenkill. Orvis controls the water rights to a three-mile stretch of the famed river. The instructors do a demonstration on how to fish in moving water, and then the students get down to fishing.
“ We’ ll look at some bugs in the water. We’ ll learn about reading the water. 80 % of the trout live in 20 % of the water. How do we identify that good water where those fish live,” Kutzer said.
Typically, a visit to the school includes a trip to the Orvis Rod Shop, where its fly