Clearwater Lodge Schools

Clearwater Lodge provides the most extensive fly fishing school in the West. For more than 25 years the name Clearwater has been synonymous with fly fishing instruction. We have taught hundreds of guests the skills and pleasures of fly fishing. Whether to refresh your angling ability or take up the sport as a beginner, Clearwater Lodge offers both structured courses and custom guide days to meet any anglers instructional needs.

  • Dates: Please Contact Us
    Arrive any Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday

    Discover Fly Fishing - 3 nights with 2 1/2 days of fishing and instruction

    $3,075 per person single occupancy or $4,200 for a party of two.

    Includes 3 nights lodging, all meals and beverages beginning with dinner the first evening through lunch the final day

    • Tuesday - Friday, Wednesday - Saturday or Thursday - Sunday. Class begins after breakfast your first morning and ends after lunch on your final day
    • 2 full days plus a half day of instruction and fishing
    • Includes all instruction and equipment (waders, boots, rods and reels and tackle)
    Prerequisites:

    None

    Course Description:

    Fly fishing is a sport for a lifetime. The beauty of being on a sparkling trout stream, the rhythmic motion of casting, the thrill of the trout's rise to your fly, the bright colors of the trout itself: fly fishing is a captivating pursuit and can be as complex or as simple as you wish to make it. This weekend outing is a carefully-considered introduction to fly fishing. You will learn about tackle and knots, about casting and presentation, about trout habits and habitat, trout flies and the real insects they represent. You will wade and fish in some of the many trout waters near the Lodge, all with instructors who are patient, engaging, and skilled at teaching adults. Come discover why fly fishing has so engaged men and women for centuries.

    Curriculum:

    • Short-line dry fly fishing
    • Nymphing with an indicator
    • Knots & Rigging
    • Reading the Water
    • Wading Safety & Use of Wading Staff
    • Basic Entomology
    • Casting to 20'
  • Dates: Please Contact Us
    Arrive Tuesday

    Mastering the Art of Fly Fishing - 5 nights with 4 1/2 days of fishing and instruction

    $5,225 single occupancy, or $7,100 for a party of two. Includes 5 nights lodging; all meals and beverages beginning with dinner the first evening through lunch the final day; all equipment and instruction; 4-full days and one 1/2 day of guided fishing and instruction

    Choose Mastering the Art of Fly Fishing if you are a beginner or rusty fly fisher. This class starts with the basics: gear, knots, casting, basic entomology, reading the water, wading safety and more. This is a five day school that focuses on building a strong foundation of fly fishing skills that you can take with you to any fishing situation.

    • Tuesday evening to Sunday afternoon
    • 4 full days plus 1 half day of instruction
    • Includes all equipment (waders, boots, rods and reels, tackle and flies)
    Course Description:


    Fly fishing is built on two skills: presenting your fly to the trout like a natural insect and recognizing the places in a stream where a trout is most likely to be. The best way to learn these skills is to actually fish: standing in a stream, casting to trout, dealing with the vagaries of wind and current, with a competent, enthusiastic instructor nearby. That's the way we teach the Mastering. You fish a variety of streams under a variety of conditions, learning to make your fly drift like that natural insect, with an expert instructor to assist and encourage you.

    Curriculum:
    • Dry fly skills
    • Nymphing Skills
    • Casting Skills  
    • Knots & Rigging  
    • Reading the Water  
    • Wading Safety & Use of Wading Staff  
    • Basic Entomology  
    Goals:
    • Cast accurately to 25'
    • Shoot Line to 25'
    • Roll cast off of either shoulder  
    Knots & Rigging:
    • Can tie clinch knot and surgeon's knot in under a minute each
    • Able to attach a leader, tie on tippet and tie on a fly
    • Able to rig for a dry and dropper, nymphing with corkie indicator  
    Other Goals:

    • Ability to identify a mayfly, caddisfly and stonefly
    • Ability to read water
  • Dates: Please Contact Us
    Arrive Tuesday

    Beyond Mastering the Art of Fly Fishing - 5 nights with 4 1/2 days of fishing and instruction

    $5,225 single occupancy, or $7,100 for a party of two. Includes 5 nights lodging; all meals and beverages beginning with dinner the first evening through lunch the final day; all equipment and instruction; 4-full days and one 1/2 day of guided fishing and instruction

    Includes 5 nights lodging, all meals and beverages beginning with dinner the first evening through lunch the final day, all equipment and instruction
    This class is designed for folks who have already gone through the Mastering the Art of Fly Fishing as most of our graduates express a desire to pick up where that class leaves off. The main prerequisite for attending this class is having attended the Mastering the Art of Fly Fishing class, or having previous angling experience with a ability to perform all of the above MFF class goals.

    • Tuesday evening to Sunday afternoon
    • 4 full days plus 1 half day of instruction
    • Includes all equipment (waders, boots, rods and reels and tackle)
    Course Description:


    The Beyond Course is designed to be taken after the Mastering Course , whether the following season, or even later in the same season. Building on the skills learned in the Mastering Course, the Beyond Course will add new techniques to your fishing arsenal as well as review and solidify the basics as well as fostering further independence on the water

    Curriculum:
    • Dry fly skills:
      • Skate & Drop
      • Extended downstream drifts
    • Nymphing Skills:
      • Indicatorless nymphing
      • Yarn indicators
    • Sinking Lines:
      • Fishing streamers with intermediate and full-sink fly lines
    • Knots & Rigging:
      • Perfection loop, Loop-to-loop connection
      • Nail Knot & Arbor Knot
      • Rigging a fly line (nail knot, arbor knot)
    • Casting Skills:
      • Overhead cast to 40 feet
      • Overhead casting off of either shoulder
      • Reach Cast
    • Other Skills:
      • The right rod for the right situation; fishing 3wts through 6wts
      • Practical entomology; matching flies to hatches, using hatch charts, doing research for a trip to a new destination
    Goals:
    • Casting: Overhead cast to 40'
    • Reach cast, both upstream & downstream
    • Extended downstream drift  
    Knots & Rigging:
    • Tie a perfection loop and a nail knot
    • Rig up a reel with backing, fly line, and butt section
    • Rig up for dry fly fishing, indicator nymphing with a yarn indicator, and indicatorless nymphing  

"You have created such a welcoming "home away from home." Every detail was appreciated and every kindness made me grateful. Our guide was knowledgeable and gentlemanly teacher with a positive attitude and respect for nature."

Marsha Malis

"We had a great time. You have an uncanny eye for the little amenities that make a stay so appealing. You genuinely care that your guests have the best possible experience."

Douglas Higgins

"What a beautiful experience you allowed us to have for the 3 days we spent at the Lodge. We hope to be back soon."

Joanne & Nunzio Alioto

"Clearwater Lodge is a piece of paradise! Very enjoyable and the fishing was great. I'll be back."

Jane Lyons Conover

"I am glad I learned how to fly fish. I learned from the best guides, Mike & John"

Laurel

"We had a wonderful time staying at the Lodge and learning the art of fly fishing. You have created a new generation of anglers in our family and we hope to return to learn more."

Pat Caskey