3-Day Fly Fishing School Sample Itinerary
We are excited about the wonderful educational experience and future angling opportunities we have to share with you. The Fly Shop has been instructing, outfitting, and guiding anglers all over the world for over thirty years. We are proud to have the finest group of professional guides and instructors, whose knowledge and patience make each day at one of our schools a great experience for both beginning and advanced anglers alike.
Day of Arrival
We ask that our guests arrive at Antelope Creek Lodge sometime between 4:00 and 6:00 pm on the day of arrival. This gives everyone an opportunity to check into their rooms, get comfortable and relax before dinner is served at 7:00 pm. Many of our guests enjoy a glass of wine on the back porch, getting to know the instructors while they observe trout feeding just a few feet away; others prefer to take a short hike around the ranch, exploring the lakes and stream, flora and fauna that make Antelope Creek Ranch such a special experience.
During cocktail hour, dinner, and dessert, the instructors and students get a chance to get to know each other, and the first informal instruction of the course begins. We pride ourselves on the fact the our instructors are available throughout the course of the 3 Day School, enabling great opportunities for asking questions and swapping stories. After dinner, we generally try to either take a streamside walk or watch a brief video to get everyone excited about the weekend before tucking in for the night.
Day 1
8:00 am - Breakfast
9:00 am - Introduction to Fly Fishing: Slide show and general overview
10:30 am - Fly Casting Basics: Fly rod components, grip, hand-and-arm position
11:00 am - Roll Cast: fly rod mechanics, discussion of loop shapes, off-shoulder casts
12:00 pm - Lunch on the deck
1:00 pm - Knots: Improved Clinch Knot, Surgeon's Knot, Perfection Loop, Nail Knot, Misc. other knots as requested.
2:15 pm - Pick-up-and-lay-down cast, Basic Overhead Fly Cast: explain rod loading, the importance of good stops front and back, and good timing; emphasize back casts.
3:00 pm - False Casting: emphasize smoothness while casting, maintaining nice loops, changes in the casting stroke as it relates to distance, etc.
3:30 pm - Reading the Water: classroom presentation discussing different water types, how to find the fish, where to wade, etc.
4:30 pm - Daily Review, Q & A
5:00 pm - Clean Up, cocktails and appetizers
6:00 pm - Dinner
Day 2
8:00 am - Breakfast
9:00 am - Entomology Presentation: discuss basic trout foods and the flies that are used to imitate them; discuss trout rise forms and how they indicate what foods they are targeting.
10:30 am - Fly Casting Review
11:00 am - More False Casting, and Shooting Line: discuss LCS (Last Cast Syndrome), timing when shooting line, fly rod drift, line control.
12:00 pm - Lunch on the deck
1:00 pm - Presentation Casts: reach casts, wiggle casts, bounce casts, pile casts, curve casts, other fun trick casts.
1:45 pm - Hooking, Landing, and Releasing Fish: discuss techniques for setting the hook once a fish takes your fly, how to land fish, and safely release them.
2:00 pm - Guided Fishing time on the private waters of Antelope Creek Ranch.
5:00 pm - Clean Up, cocktails and appetizers
6:00 pm - Dinner
Day 3
8:00 am - Breakfast
9:00 am - Fly Casting Review
9:30 am - The Double Haul: learning one of the most advanced and useful techniques in fly casting!
11:00 am - Equipment Presentation: what you need, what you don't need, what you don't need but may want anyway; answer whatever questions you might have.
12:00 pm - Lunch on the deck
1:00 pm - Graduation
*Guests at our 3-Day Schools are welcome to stay and fish at the conclusion of the school.
What to Bring:
- Layered clothing system: Antelope Creek is located in the mountains at 5,000 ft elevation, meaning cool temperatures in the morning and evening hours, but it generally warms up during the middle of the day. You want to be prepared for weather ranging from mid-40s to mid-80s.
- Rain Jacket/windbreaker: May and June are the rainy season at Antelope Creek, and although consistent rains are rare, squalls and thunderstorms can move through the area providing moisture at times.
- Sunglasses (preferably polarized): eye protection as an important aspect of fly fishing. It is absolutely important that all anglers wear some sort of eye protection at all times when casting or fishing.
- California Fishing License: 1 and 2 Day licenses are available. If you are coming from out-of-state and need us to put together a fishing license for you, please let us know.
Seminars include three days of instruction, three nights accommodations at Antelope Creek Ranch, and all meals and equipment.
