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Newsletter- December 3, 2015
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Greetings!
Beginning this month the Rhode Island School of Fly Fishing (RISFF) begins it's public outreach programs (pro bono) in addition to our formal fee-based Fly Tying, Fly Casting, and Fly Fishing Schools.
On two dates this month and one in January, we will be holding fly tying and fly casting demonstrations at Bass Pro Shop in Foxboro, MA. These are purely demo's designed to get folks interested in these aspects of our sport. Fly casting is not so much a winter activity although I continue to provide casting lessons to a few die-hard anglers who don't mind braving cold temperatures and frozen fingers to get ready for that winter trip to warm waters or who just want to be ready for spring. Fly tying on the other hand is very much a cold weather activity, and these demo sessions are designed to get folks interested in tying their own flies.
This newsletter also provides detail on a Beginners Fly Tying Class we will be holding at Bass Pro Shop in Foxboro, MA on January 23rd, and also our first Freshwater Fly Fishing School scheduled for April 16 at Addieville East Farms in Mapleville, RI.
On the fishing front, partners Bob Hines and John Lemont recently returned from trips to the several Great Lakes tributaries successfully angling and guiding for Steelhead and Brown trout. Bob and John have these fisheries nailed and are positioned to offer formal presentations on how best to fish these waters. Pictures and a short account of their successes are contained in the newsletter.
Also we are happy to announce that Smith Optics has endorsed RISFF. Smith Optics is one of the world's finest manufacturers of optics used in outdoor sports. Smith Optics has become synonymous with innovative, durable, top-quality products in the eyewear, goggle, and helmet market. Our students will be using their sunglasses in all of our fly casting schools. I hope you enjoy the newsletter.
Thanks,
Capt. Jim Barr
RISFF Mission Statement
"The Rhode Island School of Fly Fishing will deliver the highest quality fly fishing, fly casting and fly tying instruction in the industry"
Capt. Jim Barr
401.465.8751
JamesBarrRI@gmail.com
Capt. Bob Hines
401.949.5021
FlyfishRI@aol.com
Capt. John Lemont
401.553.0053
JohnLemont53@gmail.com
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| Fly Tying & Fly Casting Demos- Bass Pro Shop- Foxboro, MA |
Bass Pro Shops will be featuring the Rhode Island School of Fly Fishing (RISFF) over the course of three Saturday's in December and January. We will be conducting freshwater and saltwater fly tying demonstrations in Bass Pro's White River Fly Shop, in addition to fly casting demonstrations at the entrance to the store. Fly tying and fly casting demonstrations will be held from 10am-3pm on December 5, 19 and January 9.
Each of us have been fly tying for many years for our personal use and as instructors for individuals and groups. The tying sessions in December and early January are demonstrations and will cover basic through advanced fly tying techniques and tips. We will also be tying a range of fly patterns used in cold and warm freshwater, and saltwater. Fly patterns used to catch panfish, largemouth and smallmouth bass, northern pike, steelhead, trout, bonefish, tarpon, permit, striped bass, bluefish, false albacore and bonito will be demonstrated over the course of these three sessions along with techniques for presentation. There is no fee for attending these demonstrations and they are a great way to get an introduction to tying and ask all your questions.
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Cinder Worm Wooley Bugger
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Capt. Hines
Albie Fishing
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Beginner's Fly Tying Class- January 23, 2016- Bass Pro Shop
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On January 23rd from 10am to 4pm RISFF will be conducting a Beginner's Fly Tying Class in Bass Pro's Conservation Room which is on the lower level of the store adjacent to the White River Fly Shop. This beginner's class assumes students have never tied a fly so we will be starting from scratch with a thorough review of the most common tools used in fly tying: Vise, bobbin, bodkin, scissor, hackle plier, hair stacker, bobbin threader, hair packer, whip finisher and more. We will cover hook selection (length, gauge), threads (sizes, materials), how to tie thread onto the hook together with various winding, wrapping and finishing techniques, and of course several pointers on safety. We will tour the White River Fly Shop and point out the vast array of fly tying materials, threads, tools and tying resources such as pattern recipes and books and videos on tying techniques. Students will learn how to affix tail materials, beads, winding chenille, palmering hackle and the simple whip finish. The list of what we will cover is too lengthy to discuss in this newsletter, suffice it to say that students will learn all the basic tools, materials and tying techniques in order to complete seven (7) patterns used for panfish and trout fly fishing. Patterns taught will include the Wooley Worm, Wooley Bugger, Montana Nymph, Ant, Marabou Streamer, Dry Fly and Midge. Students will keep their flies and be prepared to cast them next spring.
This fly tying class will include video projection onto a wall screen and flat screen monitor so that students can more easily see the detailed tying steps illustrated by the tying instructor. There will also be two additional instructors covering the classroom helping students with each technique and fly pattern. This class will be limited to 20 students, and includes all fly tying tools and materials that will be provided by RISFF. The course tuition is $150/student and includes lunch, coffee and drinks. To register for this class contact: Capt. Jim Barr at: JamesBarrRI@gmail.com and/or 401-465-8751. A 50% deposit is required at the time of reservation with the balance due two weeks in advance of the class. Payment can be made with cash, check or Visa and MasterCard.
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| Freshwater Fly Fishing School- April 16, 2016- Addieville | |
RISFF will conduct it's inaugural one-day freshwater fly fishing school on Saturday, April 16, 2016 at Addieville East Farm in Mapleville, Rhode Island. Addieville is New England's premier upland bird hunting, sporting clays and fly fishing club. The management at Addieville has welcomed RISFF to conduct all our freshwater schools at this exclusive club. The club has two stocked trout ponds along with acres of manicured grass ideal for practice casting. The club's lodge offers the perfect ambience for a freshwater fly fishing school. This school is structured for the beginning fresh water fly angler and also affords opportunities to catch trout following the day's instruction.
The fly casting lessons will be taught by International Federation of Fly Fishers Certified Fly Casting Instructors who have taught literally hundreds of students in both individual and group settings, and who themselves are highly experienced fresh and saltwater fly anglers.
This will be an intensive day of study and practice in our effort to deliver to our students the maximum bang for their buck. With three instructors and a class size of 20 or less, this affords an excellent instructor to student ratio. This program will leave you tired at the end of a long day, but equipped with the knowledge you need to catch freshwater fish in your favorite lakes and streams. The following topics will be discussed in detail, both in a class-room environment and on the water.
- Stream and Still Water Entomology- cold and warm freshwater
- Fly Selection/ "Matching the Hatch"
- Stream and Stillwater Fishing Techniques
- Matching and Choosing Equipment
- Reading Water
- Fly Casting- Essential Casts to Know (on the water instruction, not a video)
- Knot Tying- essential knots
- Playing and Landing Fish
- Photographing fish
- Leaders/Tippets- Tying Your Own Leaders
- Essential Equipment and "Stuff You Don't Need"
- Fishing with Guides- "Do's and Don'ts"
- Waders/Boots/Sling Pack/Vest- Essential tools
- Wading and Drift Boat Safety
- Locating and Choosing a Guide
- Course Review/ Q&A
Students are welcome to bring their own equipment, however RISFF will provide the necessary equipment for those wanting to try different rods and lines when learning to cast and when fishing. Class size is limited to 20 students. Tuition is $295/student. The minimum age for this class is 14 and those students must be accompanied by an adult.
To register for this class contact: Capt. Jim Barr at: JamesBarrRI@gmail.com and/or 401-465-8751. A 50% deposit is required at the time of reservation with the balance due two weeks in advance of the class. Payment can be made with cash, check or Visa and MasterCard.
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| Bob and John's Steelhead /Brown Trout "Porn Corner" |
Last month as I toiled with the computer putting together the RISFF website, our Facebook page, a newsletter, off-loading tackle from the boats into the basement, and winterizing boats~ Bob and John were fishing for Steelhead and Brown Trout in New York tributaries and emailing me pictures of all the fun. (What's wrong with this picture!) The following are a sampling of last month's successes.
RISFF can present to your club or company a variety of fly fishing related presentations on a whole raft of topics, Steelhead and Brown trout in Great Lakes tributaries being just one of the many we offer.
Client Testimonial- "I recently fished the Salmon River with Captain Bob Hines. It was my first ever steelhead trip and it was awesome! Captain Bob had me totally prepared and put me in a position to succeed. It was like fishing with your best fishing buddy and a knowledgeable, vastly experienced professional guide rolled into one. Can't wait to do it again. Thanks Bob."
Michael Doughty- November 30, 2015
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| | John Lemont's brown measuring out at 31" with a girth of 17" |
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| | A gorgeous Steelhead (note smirk) |
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| | John had long stretches of water all to himself |
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| | Occasionally Bob Hines "goes short" |
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Bob Hines guided Mike Doughty on the Salmon River for Mike's first Steelhead (plural)
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| | John's Steelhead taped at 23 inches |
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| Fly Casting Tip from Macauley Lord- "What About Watching Your Backcast?" | |
"Advanced casters will sometimes watch their backcast to improve their casts. They are able to turn their heads to watch without being distracted. They know what they are looking for in their backcast and can use what they learn from seeing only one backcast to improve the next one. On the other hand, novice casters already have a lot on their minds and are unlikely to benefit from this yet. In novices, the practice can lead to the unconscious habit of repeatedly looking at some nebulous area up in the sky for the purpose of "watching the backcast. This complicates the cast. Once you have mastered the double haul and can comfortably cast beyond 60 feet, you can learn a lot from watching your backcast. Until then, avoid it."
Macauley Lord
L.L. Bean Fly-Casting Handbook, 2007, The Lyons Press
Macauley Lord is a Master Casting Instructor and recipient of the International Federation of Fly Fishers Lifetime Achievement Award in Casting Instruction.
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"The trout fly of today grew out of the trout fly of yesterday."
John McDonald
Introduction to The Complete Fly Fisherman (1947)
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I hope we have again whetted your appetite about the Rhode Island School of Fly Fishing. We have big plans and are very excited about our new venture. We will continue to publish follow-on newsletters updating our progress and new course offerings. We expect to announce our full 2016 training schedules before year-end 2015.
Please feel free to forward this newsletter to friends who you believe will find it interesting.
Our best,
Capt. Jim Barr
Capt. Bob Hines
Capt. John Lemont
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