According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), fishing in this state alone is a $1.9 billion industry. If you are an angler of any skill level, you know when the prime season is on the calendar and may have even considered learning more, like registering for fly fishing school. If you enjoy time alone or with friends on Sloan or Marston Lake, try fly fishing in the lake. It’s a feeling unlike many others in water sports. 

Imagine how beneficial fly fishing lessons in Colorado would be for your well-being and sports fix for you. You are wading in waist-high waters, watching the sun come up over the horizon, and the only sounds you hear are natural, like babbling brooks and the random bird call. It is relaxing, peaceful, and unlike any other experience in this state. 

There is a reason the CPW invests years breeding fish, watching them hatch, and stocking more than 90 million fish every year. Colorado is an angler’s paradise, and a fly fishing school may be the path to heaven on our local bodies of water. If you have ever wondered about fly fishing lessons in Colorado or even what is required to appreciate it, bookmark this page and take your time reading it. Some have yoga, and others have meditation. Anglers use fishing of many kinds for peace. Let’s learn about the five top things to learn in fly fishing school. 

Knots and a Fishing School Near Me

This isn’t a day at Boy Scout camp, but when you take classes at any fly fishing school in Colorado–especially Shredders Outdoors, but then again, we are biased–you will have to learn all about knots. Anyone from big flyers to little flyers, people taking fly fishing lessons in Colorado or any other state must master knots because that’s how the fish find their food. 

Before you search for a “fishing school near me,” learn to make your knots! The faster you determine how to tie the knot the way the fish need it, the quicker you get to stand in the water and let the bait (and your technique) do the rest. 

The main six knots you will learn at any place where you search “fly fishing near me” are 

• Arbor knot

• Clinch knot

• Nail knot

• Palomar knot

• Surgeon’s knot

• Uni knot

From the reel to the tippet (the end section of a tapered leader), that is the straightest distance between two spots for your private oasis with friendly grayling, salmon, or trout. Your time on the water should be peaceful, so one of the most important lessons for any angler interested in this recreational activity and enrolled in fly fishing school should pay close attention to this section. Once you have knots down, the rest is smooth wading on the water. 

Flies

Of course, this would come up in any fly fishing school class – flies. There are three basic ones, and none of them need swatting at a picnic. Dry flies are the most common. They land and float on top of the water. That’s it, but it's lunch when a redfish or tarpon swims by one! Have you ever seen a leech? In fly fishing, bait that looks like a leech is called a streamer or “lures.” Lastly, there are nymphs, which swim just below the water’s surface. They look like larvae, and the answer to the question, “If fish liked to eat sushi, what would they call it?” 

Fly Fishing Schools in Colorado Love Rods

There are many tips and treats to learn about shopping in fishing stores or even fly fishing schools in Colorado for fly fishing rods, but your first one is the most important. You get a feel for casting and line control with the first fly fishing rod. How to bend and not break will help any angler catch their limit and feel like a champ doing it. You will learn about fast action and tip-flex rods in fly fishing school and how each will help your cast. Take notes, know your strengths and weaknesses, and cast a long shadow into the still of the waters. 

Casts

As simple and free as it looks, casting can be complex and strategic. Parameters matter, namely in this state. Fly fishing lessons in Colorado will show any angler the fundamentals in a stress-free environment to prepare for the experience in the water. How you choose to cast will determine where in the water you are located, what type of casting distance you want, and, of course, what fish you want to catch.

Among the basic casts in any fly fishing school, you will learn how to cast on the opposite side of your body, what to do in case of strong wind, or even becoming ambidextrous. Fortunately, many casts have names that don’t need explanation: reach, roll, tuck, wind, and sidearm. 

Fly Fishing Lessons in Colorado Can Create Trophies 

One of the most important lessons learned in a fly fishing school in Colorado (or any other state) is concerning trophies. Do you want them? Then, here’s how to get them. When fly fishing, it’s more of the honor system about bag limits. Many of the state’s lakes and reservoirs are “put-and-take,” meaning if you catch over your limit, put it back. There are 9,000 miles of rivers and 2,000 natural lakes in Colorado, so don’t worry about searching “fly fishing school near me.” Come by Shredder Outdoors, and we’ll get you the Gold you need (in the waters, that is).