northeast fly fishing school

My step-daughter gave me a gift certificate for the 1 1/2 day fly fishing class offered by the Northeast Fly Fishing School. It was perhaps the best Christmas gift I've received. She attended the class with me in May 2014. There were only six people in the class so we received a lot of individual attention in tying knots and casting besides the group sessions on fish behavior, the life cycles of aquatic insects, etc. We also engaged one of the instructors, Gerry Crowe, as a guide for a full day of fishing.The class gave me the confidence to take up fly fishing in my retirement and I have subsequently had the opportunity to fish in the Black Hills and on the Firehole, Gibbon, Madison, and Snake Rivers in Wyoming. I would definitely recommend the class, young or old (I'm a 65 year old beginner, there was also a 10 year old in our class).

My 10 year old grandson who has a passion for fishing wanted to experience fly fishing. I chose Northeast Fly Fishing School hoping I would introduce him to a sport he would enjoy all his life. I will never regret this decision. He thoroughly enjoyed it and I would love to send him again for day trips with these wonderful guides who were very attentive even though he was the only child in the group.

Jim and Gerry are great (and patient) teachers. True fly fishermen that live and breathe the sport. I was impressed by how they were able to reach the broad range of ages in our class, the youngest in the class being around 10 or 11. They have a way of teaching that brings fly fishing alive in the classroom setting, from knot tying lessons to identifying the insects that the flies emulate and identifying fly fishing gear to species of fish. We practiced casting on the first day and were fishing the second day. They had all the gear you needed to take the class and go fishing the second day. You only needed to bring a license. I had some fishing gear and they set me up so I could use my own rod and reel. I'm looking forward to taking a guided trip up north in the future and I'll call Northeast Fly Fishing School for the trip.

i got a gift certifcate for my birthday with these folks. we did a guided trip for two with gerry. he was very professional and knowledgeable, especially about insects. we caught lots of fish, much better than my experience in estes park. he made a nice lunch and topped it off with a highlight reel video.

I just completed the intermediate class, having participated in the beginner class 2 years ago.Once again I was completely impressed. Gerry's knowledge of all things related to fly fishing is beyond belief. Both Jim and Gerry are completely open with all of their accumulated years of experience and fly fishing wisdom. It is very obvious that they truly enjoy teaching the intricacies of the art of fly fishing. They are both more than willing to help with any and all problems after the training sessions by phone or email. I would highly recommend the classes and or a guided trip with Gerry and Jim.

Northeast Fly Fishing School is an excellent option for those who want to learn to fly fish in a supportive, fun, and effective manner. The course is a well thought out, the instruction is effective and professional with just the right mix of classroom and water experience. Jim and Gerry are tremendously knowledgeable, and have a true talent for making even obscure insect lore palatable to the novice. I recommend Northeast Fly Fishing School unconditionally!

Jim and Gerry run an excellent fly fishing school that I would highly recommend to anyone!! The whole operation is organized, professional and thoughtful. I had been wanting to learn how to fly fish for quite sometime, but an L.L. Bean or Orvis trip seemed a bit contrived and high-pressure. I found Northeast Fly Fishing School from a simple Google search. I watched Gerry's YouTube videos of their previous classes, and could tell they would be a good fit for a beginner. As a woman, I was nervous that I would be an outsider in the class, but Jim and Gerry made my friend and I feel welcome. They are extremely patient and effective instructors -- whether in the classroom or on the river. The classroom portion on day 1 gives you a solid knowledge base about the sport, equipment, flies, and knot-tying. The afternoon of day 1 you learn how to cast in small groups with plenty of time for individual instruction. Day 2 is the best! Jim and Gerry have all the gear ready, and you head out to the river to try the casting techniques you learned the previous day... and hopefully get a strike! This was an excellent experience from start to finish. As a matter of fact, my friend and I are planning to go on another fly fishing adventure in the Spring with Jim and Gerry as guides!

I purchased a gift certificate from Jim and Gerry for my boyfriend so he could take their introductory fly-fishing class. The transaction was a delight from start to finish. Jim and Gerry run a professional show, respond promptly to emails, and are all-around nice guys to boot. My boyfriend had a blast in their two-day class and felt like he really got personal instruction, even though he wasn't the only one in the class. I got to accompany him to the river on the second day of instruction, so I could see firsthand how much Gerry and Jim care about their students. They really take the time to work with each student, making sure they get enough of the basics that they can go off on their own and fly fish. My boyfriend had such a great experience with Jim and Gerry that he hired them for a guided fly-fishing expedition with his dad. Needless to say, it was a wonderful experience. I can say without a doubt that the time and money you invest with Jim and Gerry will be repaid many times over. I highly recommend their class and their guided fishing expeditions. So glad to have met them both!

I have fished for almost 50 years, but had never fly fished, so I came into this course as a true beginner. I loved the structure of the course. The first morning was "classroom" instruction that included entomology, gear, knot-tying, and some fly fishing "theory". The afternoon of the first day was learning how to do basic fly casting on a pond - forward cast and roll cast. Jim and Gerry spent time with each of the students and worked with them until they got it. The second day was spent on the river fly fishing - putting the knowledge gained in the previous day to use. Again, Gerry and Jim spent considerable time with each student - pointing out what to look for, in terms of how to "read the water", and how to fish dry flies vs. nymphs vs. streamers. I felt fully ready to fish after the half day on the river. As everyone knows, there are other fly fishing schools out there, but from what I've found they are way more expensive. And more importantly, I'm not sure you get the same individual instruction from the other schools. I will definitely sign up for the intermediate course when I'm ready, and also plan to hire Gerry or Jim for a guided trip sometime next spring/summer.

Several years ago I had the good fortune to find my way to the Northeast Fly Fishing School. I have taken several of their classes and have been guided by them on the Androscoggin and Connecticut Rivers. They are extremely knowledgeable, attentive, and fun to fish with. They are also very safety conscious which I appreciate more and more the older I get. I owe a lot of my current skill in fly fishing to their patient teaching and coaching. I still hear their sage advice when out on the stream: "I little more upstream-just let it float along that seam". I highly recommend being guided by them or taking one of their classes. Peter

My wife and I had a lot of fun learning to fly fish with Jim and Gerry! Both are great instructors, and have shared their wealth of knowledge through the beginner's class. The class was very informative - covering all the basics from equipment, knots, flies/fish food, water conditions, and it puts everything together out on the water.While out on the water, the instruction continues. Jim and Gerry were identifying the bugs flying around, as well as turning over rocks showing food sources living under water. Both Jim and Gerry provide a lot of individual attention and encouragement on proper casting technique, presentation, where to cast to find fish, etc. More importantly, they made the whole experience fun and informative, where my wife and I are looking forward to an Androscoggin River outing with Jim/Gerry, when these trips become available in the coming season.

My dad and I have gone fly fishing twice with Jim and Gerry. These guides are extremely knowledgeable. They take the time to teach you the science behind fly fishing and proper casting techniques. Once you are out on the water, they are sure to provide lots of individual attention and encouragement. They were very attentive and were consistently changing out flies if the fish didn't appear to be biting what we were putting out. On our trip with them this past fall, they took us to some great spots, both on the Androscoggan River in NH and also on this beautiful, remote pond. We both caught trout, though admittedly mine were small :) All in all, they provide a great trip. Knowledgeable guides, beautiful locations, individual attention, and food along the way! Thanks guys!

My husband and I, two who never tried fly fishing before, took the beginners course in October. What a great course! Gerry and Jim have a wealth of knowledge and are pleased to share what they have gained over the years guiding and fishing. They know a lot about equipment and are talented at instructing. And they really know the rivers. It was incredible to get a chance to step into that world!You will be very happy with this course.

I took their beginners class this past summer... it was a great introduction to all the basics. Really learned a lot from the class time which complimented the on the water segment of the 2 day course. I really enjoyed looking at the cadis, mayflies, etc. with such knowledgable teachers. Although I took that class months ago, I've since emailed Gerry a few times to ask for advice on what equipment I need to start building my own gear collection and he continues to be super helpful. Am hoping to go back and take the next level course with him next spring. Highly recommend!