Headwaters’ School of Trout
At the Headwaters Outfitters’ “School of Trout,” we offer fly-fishing classes for everyone! Beginners have the opportunity to get their feet wet and learn the basics of fly angling, while intermediate anglers can hone their skills or learn new techniques on the water with experienced guides who love to teach.
Join us and see why our Fly Fishing Schools are the easiest and most enjoyable way to learn this rewarding pastime! Select the best class for you from our list below:
"Fly-fishing is the
most fun you can have standing up." - Arnold Gingrich
Our Beginner’s Class
3 Hour Introduction: cost is $115.00/ per person (limit 5 people per instructor) 9 a.m.-12:00 p.m., Monday through Sunday.
Each class will cover:
• Tackle introduction, including fly rods, reels, line, leader and “tippet.”
• Three knots you need to know.
• A basic introduction to aquatic insects found on local streams
• How to select flies to “match the hatch”
• Casting. Students will learn to execute a roll cast, overhead cast and bow-and-arrow cast.
• Reading water: learn where trout hold and feed in the stream and why
Our All-Day School for Beginners:
This combines our three-hour class (see above) with a half-day of stream fishing, giving students the ability to apply their newfound angling skills to real-life fishing situations. The cost is $250 per person (maximum of 2 people per instructor.) The cost of this class includes the use of waders, boots, rods and reels. The school is available every day from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Students will learn:
• Rigging up for a day on the water, including basic knot-tying, leader set-up, and how to add a dropper fly, split shot and strike indicator, if necessary.
• Casting, including the roll cast, overhead cast, bow-and-arrow cast, false casting, water loading and shooting line
• How to mend your line to get the most natural drift and fool more fish
• How to fish a dry fly, nymph and a streamer, and what circumstances call for each one of these approaches.
• How to read a stream, picking out the most likely places fish will hold and feed.
• How to identify caddisflies, mayflies, stoneflies and midges, using simple clues.
• How to choose the right fly to “match the hatch.”
• How to hook, play and land fish, plus proper techniques for releasing fish unharmed.
After the school is complete, students will enjoy a streamside lunch before departing on the fishing portion of the day.
We also offer these special classes
throughout the year.
These special classes were designed for intermediate fly fishers interested in expanding their skill level (call for availability and to reserve your spot in our next class):
 Midge Fishing 101 – Many fly anglers refer to any tiny-sized fly as a “midge,” but this class focuses exclusively on how to fish Chironomids, which make up the bulk of local trout diets on rivers such as the Davidson and South Holston, especially during colder months when not much else is available. Our small-fly expert and head guide, Than Axtell, will show you how to deal with these miniscule bugs, which range from a #18 to as small as a #32. The 3-hour class, which costs $125, will cover the chironomid life cycle, fly patterns for fooling tough trout, presentation strategies, strike detection, playing fish on light tippets and how to use a stomach pump.
Streamer Fishing Clinic – It’s a proven biological fact that as trout get larger, they become increasingly piscivorous. Brown trout in particular are notorious baitfish eaters, and if you ever wanted to catch a big brownie, streamer fishing will increase your odds. This class focuses on how to trigger a big trout’s predatory instincts, by swinging, stripping and dead-drifting streamer flies. The 3-hour class, which costs $125, covers tackle choices, casting big flies, retrieval methods, and building a streamer selection to cover local baitfish species. It will be held on the French Broad River in Rosman.
Advanced Mending – The difference between an average trout fisherman and a great one is their ability to mend line well. This class focuses on how to mend, or manipulate, your fly line on the water in order to get better drag-free drifts and catch more fish. We’ll learn the basic upstream and downstream mend, reach cast, stack mend, and mending out line on a downstream drift. We’ll also cover ways to improve your flyline’s mending abilities.The 3-hour class, which costs $125, will be held on the French Broad River in Rosman.
To register for our School of Trout classes, please call (828) 877-3106
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Fly-Fishing Classes:
Reservations Required
To register for one of our School of Trout classes, call (828) 877-3106 |
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3 Hour Introduction
9 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Monday - Sunday |
$115
per angler |
3 Hour class plus ½ day stream fishing
9 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Monday - Sunday |
$250
per angler
with lunch |
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3 Hour class |
$125
per angler |
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3 Hour class |
$125
per angler |
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3 Hour class |
$125
per angler |
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Copyright 2003-2008 Headwaters Outfitters Outdoor Adventures.
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