What I learned at the School of Trout by Todd Tanner – Hatch Magazine

We just completed in June the Advanced Fly fishing School for Western Waters. If I am not mistaken we had around 14 FATC members take part in this four day school in Colorado. Check out the trip report on June 1st on the school for the awesome fish caught and the fantastic learning opportunities that were taught. Of course there are many different schools out there and of course, you can attend any, all or none of them BUT the guys who don’t take the opportunity to attend will not be the best fly fishers they can be.

In a recent article from Hatch magazine, the author attended a fly fishing schools for nine years (he actually ran the schools) and took away from it the following. I added his take aways as bullet points for you to ponder. He makes some good points here that should be thought about in length. Here they are:

1. We can tell a lot about your skills as a fly fisher by looking at your leader.

2. The more you believe you know, the less you are likely to learn.

3. There is a direct correlation between your ability to tie knots and your on-the-water success.

4. Very few fly fishers can differentiate a well executed fly casting stroke from a poorly-executed fly casting stroke.

5. Fly fishing is fun regardless of whether or not you fish well. BUT the more passion and energy we put into our fly fishing, the more enjoyment we get back.

6. At it’s heart, our sport is focused on the search for the perfect fly. It shouldn’t be! The fly pattern you’re using at the moment is rarely responsible for either your successes or your failures.

7. Don’t go too fast (with your fly rod action). Fast action rods are “overrated”.

8. We’re supposed to enjoy our fly casting. (learn good form and practice).

9. Simplify it (not). Fly fishing is so wonderful because it’s incredibly interesting and challenging, and because it requires us to develop real skills as well as a solid foundation of knowledge. Fly fishing, or at least fly fishing at it’s most satisfying, requires more of us than simply tying on a fly and getting it out on the water. It asks us to meld body, mind and soul. It teaches patience and observation. It immerses us in the purity of the natural world, and it does so in a way that refreshes us and that helps wash away the clutter and clamor of modern existence. The last thing that we should ever want is to devalue our fly fishing by dumbing it down, or asking less of ourselves.