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Thread: Orvis Fy Fishing School

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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
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    Dublin, NH
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    Default Orvis Fy Fishing School

    Hi,
    I have finally decided to get professional help. I am considering doing a 2 day Orvis Fly Fishing School. I hope this would fill the canyon like gaps in my knowledge and most importantly, help my casting so that I am no longer a menace to people 20 feet to either side and the back! Has anyone done one?
    Thanks,
    Mike

  2. #2

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    Have you ever consider locating a certified fly casting instructor in your area for one on one casting help than after that hire a guide for a day on your local water could be money well spent than a orvis fly fishing class that would be more general. A good fly shop in your area may help you set this up. Get on a good footing to start. Lots of good info can come from a quality fly shop.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2000
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    Pacific
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    Those are pretty good 2 day group programs that cover a lot but are not overwhelming.

    Some shops and independent guides also will tailor a day towards instruction and cover most things covered in the Orvis class. However you will typically pay a standard guides day rate for for the benefit of one-one-one instruction tailored to the angler rather than a program for a group. Here in California an day with a guide will typically cost about $400 for an 8 hour session or $250 for a 5 hour session. The Orvis classes have a 4 student per instructor ratio or better so you will get attention from the instructors.

    I used to go to a lodge that hosted the three day Orvis schools as well their own 5 day classes. I took the lodge's 5 day coarse and later made many return trips to the lodge just to fish. On several of those trips the Orvis school sessions were being held so I had some opportunity to observe them. I was impressed by what I saw. The main difference between the Orvis class and the lodge's class was the lodge class had a lot more actual fishing during the 5 days, but the actual material covered was about the same.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Louisville, KY
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    If you're going primarily for casting instruction, I think you might be a little disappointed and, as others have suggested, might be better off spending your money for some group or one-on-one lessons with a casting instructor. Last I knew of it, the Orvis two day classes were much broader, intro-type courses, meaning you spend a good percentage of the class on very basic entomology, equipment overview, etc. and a comparatively small percentage on casting. Nothing against the Orvis classes, just saying it's probably not going to be as casting intensive as you might want.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
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    Dublin, NH
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    Okay, thanks to the NH flyfishing site I have made contact with a certified instructor who I have made email contact with. Reviews were very positive and for the price of the school alone, I can do about 6 hours of instruction! WAHOO - fish you're in trouble now! This should work very well. As a retired teacher I can appreciate the methods.
    Thanks for the input all, I was real close to shelling out money for the school and lodging, but it will go only towards casting instruction!
    Mike

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Location
    Chicago, Il, USA
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    I'm sorry I missed this, but for what it's worth I took both the beginning and intermediate Orvis classes (my father grew up in Brooklyn, I grew up in LA - it's not like I knew anybody who knew anything about fishing) in Manchester, Vt.

    I would definitely recommend the beginning class for anybody interested in trout fishing. You learn basic casting and rollcasting, gear, knots, and entomology and flies, and hooking, playing and landing fish. You get some time on the river, but not much. I really enhanced the experience by hiring one of the instructors for a few hours to take me out on the Battenkill on my own. I knew nothing about fly fishing and in fact, had never caught a fish in my life. I came with about $500 or so worth of gear.

    I will admit though that it took me a few weekends fishing with a guide that summer before I was comfortable on a creek on my own.

    I'm not sure if I'd recommend the intermediate class - by the time I took it, I might have been beyond it already. It's about a day working on casting including double hauling - which I had already learned. The second time was spent on a creek, not the Battenkill, and fishing - but it was nothing special.

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