Does anyone know of a fly fishing guide school that is located on the East coast?? I live in VA and it looks like the only easy to find guide schools are in CO, MT, Etc. Please let me know!!
Thanks, GT2FLY
Check with Orvis. I am not sure but if my impaired memory serves correctly they have a program.
Joan Wulff is in NY. Can’t do much better than that.
LL Bean has Fly Fishing Schools ,1/2 day fresh or salt ,2 day in Maine or Virginia Blue Ridge Mts. Drift boat fishing, Spey course and a three day fly fishing camp llbean.com/ods. BILL
Gramps, no offense please, in fact we have been friends of hers for a long time, but, I don’t think she is teaching any ‘guide’ type classes. There are schools just for that now 'a days. Myself, I can’t understand the idea. I have talked to some of the guys teaching them and still don’t get it. It takes a particular type of person and a hell of a lot of knowledge and ‘moxie’ and some sort of an X factor to be a guide. Not what I figure can be taught. Some stuff, sure, like first aid etc. and fly fishing, but, how to guide 101? Anyway, heck, go for it. Hope the fellow finds a good school and does great.
Oops! :oops:
Hey, no ‘ooops’ required. It was just my opinion was all. 
OOPs also–Does he wants a school to become a guide ? I thought all you had to do is be a good area ffisher know any state requirements and advertize.BILL
I also somewhat agree with Bill Fitz,
Guiding school is “life”. You first have to know how to be comfortable with all types of personalities and be articulate and conversant in many fields. Oh, and I almost forgot you should be a pretty knowledgable fly fisherman too. If you feel you need a “school”? , well, never mind.
Mark
I don’t know of any courses for guides in the east, but I do know there are quite a few offered in the west.
I will have to take exception though to the less than enthusiastic endorsement that some have made here about guide schools.
While it is probably true that it takes a particular type of person to be a guide, as it takes a “particular type of person” to be successful at any profession, a good guide school, like any school, should cover most of the basic skill sets that guides use day in and day out. What one does with those skill sets may set a good guide apart from a run-of-the-mill one.
I’m sure there are plenty of persons who go to these schools simply to learn more about fly fishing, etc. with no plans to ever be a guide, the same as many people take a fly tying course with no intention of ever being a professional fly tyer.
Maybe these “Guide Schools” sould be renamed as “Guide to fly fishing courses”.
John
William, when we were guides in Montana, a state license was required and a guide was always working under an outfitter.
One Guide School in Montana charged about 4,000. for the course as I recall, and it was for a month’s school.
Not too many just fishermen would spend the dough or the time if they weren’t serious about learning to guide.
Trust me, guiding isn’t easy, and different places have their own requirements as well.
I would have loved being a guide. Too old to think about it now. 
Wow, J Castwell you seem to be so negative about the idea. I feel like I have the skills and also have the drive to be a guide. But, you always here about “endorsed” guides or “certified” guides!! It’s not that I need someone to teach me how to put people on fish, but rather how to be a guide. I don’t think you just wake up and your a guide!! There are not enough fly shops or outfitters in VA to give you a shot at learning how to be a guide!!
Your right GT2FLY I couldn’t find a eastern school–The Orvis school is out west, Avon Colorado charges $500 for a week. The guides that I know in the mid west are all self taught own a resort or work out of a fly shop. Many in Mich and Ark started out without any school.
GT2FLY, what state do you plan on guiding in? Your own state? What have you found out from the state about a guide license? Have you looked yet? Maybe it’s $5000.00 a year. Who knows. Do you have to work under an outfitter? Maybe there are no requirements at all, just go do it.
I think ‘guide school’ starts with the first client and I think ‘guide school’ remains in session so long as one continues taking clients to the water.
Cheers,
MontanaMoose
MontanaMoose,
Seldom do so few words carry so much truth/meaning.
Mark
MMoose, …
I would have to differ. The “school”, imho starts WAY before that.
Like when someone learn their pedagogic skills, casting, fishing, reading water, cooking, boat handling, first aid, woodscraft.
That’s sort of the primary school stuff.
We move into high school when we learn how to diagnose each of the above.
Your college degrees are each river or water you learn to fish and your post grad degrees are when you learn to GUIDE those same waters.
I’m not sure why no one ever mentions a business class or two at a local JC when they are offering up advice for a person thinking about being a guide. Not a 4year degree, just a few courses to know about accounting, advertising and general business law. It is running your own business after all. If receiveables and expenditures are upsidedown, you’re just a glorified fisherman. Which not a bad title but hard to feed a family with that title.