On a blustery spring Saturday about 40 students and a dozen instructors gathered at the Camas Meadows Golf Club to attend a beginner fly fishing class put on by the Clark-Skamania Flyfishers (CSF). The local fly angling club holds the clinic every spring to introduce new people to the art of fishing with a fly rod.
It was a two-day affair with classroom instruction on Saturday at the golf club, and a casting clinic held on Sunday at Lewisville Park along the East Fork of the Lewis River.
Fly fishing is a unique style of fishing that differs from conventional gear fishing in that the lure is propelled using the weight of the line instead of the weight of the lure.
The technique requires some skill and practice, and the club offers the class to help newcomers grasp the many aspects of the sport.
‘One of the main pillars of our organization is education,” said John Bohrnsen, a club member, former club president, and instructor for CSF. “We are creating new fly fishers by providing education.”
“We do this beginning fly fishing class in the spring, and tomorrow we will follow that with the casting clinic. We run a second casting clinic in the fall, and we also have an educational program where we actually tie flies,” he added.
The club was founded in 1975, and “is dedicated to the preservation of wild fish stocks and the natural resources that sustain them. CSF is further committed to the promotion of flyfishing as a method of angling and, through it, an understanding of and appreciation for the diversity of nature,” according to their website.
The class includes instruction on fly fishing gear, terminology, knot tying, casting, and information about benthic macroinvertebrates. These are the insects that trout feed on, and which fly fishermen try to imitate with their flies.
There is also discussion on ethics, tactics, places to fish, waterside safety, etiquette and more.
The cost of the class is $50, and includes lunch, instructional gear, and expert one-on-one guidance. If a student has gear of their own, the club recommends that they bring it to the class so they can get familiarized with it.
Steve Jones is the conservation chairman of the Clark-Skamania Flyfishers, and he spent part of Saturday teaching knot-tying. He was also on hand for Sunday’s casting clinic. He thinks this was one of the better spring clinics conducted by the club.
“It was one of the better turnouts, and one of the most participatory classes we’ve had,” said Jones, “It’s good to see so much interest in the sport.”
“Our classes are always pretty well attended,” he added.
In addition to the spring beginners’ class, there is the annual fly-tying course, a month-long series that teaches the fine art of tying flies. There is also a rod-building course, and a net-building course.
For a complete list of classes and clinics, check the CSF website at http://www.clark-skamania-flyfishers.org/education.html
In addition to the classes, there are multiple outings held all year that interested parties can attend, and the club will make sure that they get hands-on instruction while they fish.
“The class ensures that (anglers) have a little bit of skill to give them an opportunity to fish,” said Bohrnsen. That initial skill sets them up for additional learning on the water.
“These people that are learning today, if they go on an outing we’ll make sure that there is an experienced fly fisherman on their shoulder, and will take the time to help them.”
“There are no secret holes, so secret flies, we really do share everything we know.”
The outings are held over much of the state, including to well-stocked lakes so the newcomers will have a chance to learn what it is like to actually catch a fish on a fly rod.
They can then attend an outing where the target are wild, savvy trout, and where they can hone their new skills.
“We are trying to teach the right etiquette, and we think that is really important,” Borhnsen said. “We talk about releasing wild fish and we talk about not leaving tippets and other trash behind.”
Through this work the club is not just adding new fishermen to the fold, they are creating advocates for fish and the habitats that they depend on. These new fishermen will also become new conservationists.
There were a good number of women in the class, and there were a few youngsters in attendance, too, displaying the broad appeal of the sport. Eight-year old Cooper Garland-Holcomb was practicing his casting, and doing very well despite a brisk afternoon wind.
This devotion to education has generated new members for the club, and it now boasts a membership of around 250. The club welcomes non-members to sit in during their meetings to get a feel of what the club is about, and guests can also attend the outings.
“Our main focus is to demystify the sport, and we’ve been doing that for years,” added Jones.
Anyone interested in the club and its events can check out the website at http://www.clark-skamania-flyfishers.org/index.html
