Introduction to Fly Fishing
– A 2-day/1-night Hands-On Program on the Yakima River –
Red’s Fly Shop, located on the Yakima River, Washington’s premier fly fishing river presents this exciting introduction to one of the most fascinating, graceful, and enticing outdoor art forms. Anyone who is interested in “test driving” fly fishing is welcome: singles, couples and families. All you need is curiosity about the natural world, a “let’s go for it” attitude, and a love of the out-of-doors (trout always seem to live in the most beautiful places!).
Worried about having to have previous experience and a lot of fishing stuff? Nope! Just show up with a fishing license and duffle with your favorite comfy outdoor clothes – we’ve got you covered on everything else: lodging, meals, instruction, supplies & equipment – a full half-day of guided drift-boat fly fishing on the famous Yakima River – all included.
PROGRAM SCHEDULE
SATURDAY
Plan to arrive at the beautiful Pine Valley Lodge by (near Cle Elum. WA) by 9:00 AM
Morning Seminar: Trout – The Object of Our Passion
• Biological aspects of trout
• Species, habits, life cycle, niches in the river, feeding habits
• A trout’s lifestyle requirements
• Anatomy of a trout stream
Activity: Bug Hunt – we walk to the riverbank to find and identify examples of the “bugs” trout eat.
Luncheon Seminar: Over lunch we’ll continue our discussion of trout:
• Trout food on a river
• Life cycles of important insects trout eat
• The annual procession of insect hatches on the Yakima
• Flies – Fur, feathers, etc. tied on hooks to imitate trout food
Afternoon Clinic: Casting: basic principles and the straight line cast
Diner & Discussion: We’ll all gather in the great room for a delicious dinner followed by a presentation on Species and Places: the best fly fishing opportunities in Washington, throughout the Northwest and around the world.
SUNDAY
Clinic: our day is fueled with a hearty breakfast and then it’s off to casting practice with 1-on-1 instruction to fine-tune our skills before we head out on the river to put it all together.
Activity: Let’s Go Fishing – Mid-morning, we’ll gear up, wader up and head out in drift boats in search of Yakima rainbow and cutthroat trout. Under the guidance of one of Red’s professional fishing guides, we’ll put our theory into practice and maybe come home with tales (with photographs to prove it) of our first trophy rainbow trout!
We’ll gather for a brief farewell celebration and have you on your way home by late afternoon.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
WHERE: The Pine Valley Lodge is just west of the town of Cle Elum, WA
(approximately 1 hour drive east-bound on I-90 from Seattle). Detailed driving directions will be provided upon registration.
HOSTS: Doug Pendleton of Pendleton & Associates and Steve Joyce, Manager of Red’s Fly shop (http://www.redsflyshop.com).
PRICE: Starting at $595* Price is per person, based on double occupancy and based on a minimum of 4 and a maximum of eight participants.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
• Instruction – 12 hours of seminars, Instruction” & hands-on casting clinics
• Fishing – 4 hours of guided fly fishing on the Yakima River in drift boats with a professional guide/instructor
• Equipment – All fly fishing gear needed - including waders & boots, rods & reels w/ appropriate fly line & leaders, and all flies.
• Lodging – At the beautiful Pine Valley Lodge, an historic private fishing lodge and 1600-acre forest preserve right on the banks of the Yakima River – with no less than 2 miles of private shoreline for fishing!
• Meals– All meals and beverages; wine and beer hosted by Red’s at dinner.
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED
• Transportation between your home to the Pine Valley Lodge
• Personal Clothing: Remember this is camping, so bring comfortable outdoor clothing (we’ll send you a suggested what to bring list appropriate for the season). For fishing, bring a hat with bill e.g. baseball cap, sun glasses (polaroids if you have them). A Special note on purchasing fly fishing gear and clothing: PLEASE- do not rush out and buy a bunch of fly fishing stuff to bring to the course; it’s easy to spend a lot and get the wrong stuff. If, after your introduction to fly fishing course, you’d like to take your new-found passion to the next level, we’ll help you select the best-value items and most reliable brands. Plus we’ll have special-discount package prices on Red’s entire line of fishing equipment and clothing.
• WA Fishing License (If you don’t have a WA state fishing license, you can easily get one on line at https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov/.
• Gratuities for the lodge staff, instructor and fishing guide
WEATHER & LOCAL CONDITIONS: The weather east if the crest of Cascade Mountains is typically warm and dry. For more information, log onto Red’s website (above): you’ll find the latest fishing reports, stream flow and river conditions, and a wealth of other helpful information – including our schedule of other courses and fishing opportunities. Check it out!
PARTICIPATION: This small-group event; expect no more than a eight participants.
