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| He's never casted a fly rod... 2 hours later, look at him now |
Years ago, I would hear a certain group of people (mostly hippies, granola's, dead-head's) use the word energy. Energy this or energy that; it was a universal word that meant something; but nothing to me. I would also hear these same people talk about how their energy is connected to some life/universal force. The context went something like this, "that's amazing energy, this feels right...it's all connected." Truth be told, when I first started hearing people speak this way, I thought they were crazy. I had no idea what the hell they were saying and when I asked them to explain, they simply said, "... like, energy is everywhere man, it's all about good or bad karma." I was severely confused with their explanation, and I wondered what drugs these people were on. But, deep within, I was curious, and felt as though they had something that I did not. More importantly, whatever they had that I did not, I wanted it, but I had no idea how to get it. How does one have or get this energy they spoke of? How does one feel connected to the universe? How does one benefit from good karma? Fast forward +20 years, and I can now feel it, but I can't 'really' explain it. But, here's my foolish attempt...
The other day, I taught a 14 year old boy how to fly cast. Both his dad, uncle and myself, went to the same high school; Trinity High School. All three of us played football for THS. His dad, Garrett Collins, a bit younger than me, was on Trinity High School's last state championship football team. His uncle, Jay Collins and I, played in the 1980's, and were coached by New Hampshire hall of fame coach Jack Gati. At this point, I am really lost in my attempt to explain myself. I apologize, and I should delete all of this and start over; but I won't. All I can say is; 1) explaining something that is virtually unexplainable is hard; 2) it was a very cool feeling to be teaching a 14 year old boy, whose dad and uncle went to high school with me. Further, it's a great honor to be given a chance to educate the children of my friends. Never, and I mean never, did I expect to be involved in this type of positive life energy, connectedness, good karma. It's a wonderful feeling that makes me so very happy. A big thanks to my friends for giving me the chance to be a positive influence for your kids and family.
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| Sean working our E.I. Fly 1X Beginner Casting Class |
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| Unexpected visitors join the fun |
If you are interested in learning more about our services...
E.I. Fly™1X: Beginner Level (Basic Casting On-Land Only)
This beginner class is designed for those who have a general curiosity about fly-fishing and who say, “I would love to learn how to fly fish, but I don’t have the time or gear to learn." To get you started, we review rod set-up/balance, casting theory-instruction, and casting drills & skills.
The E.I. Fly™1X class is easily accessible and can be taught in a variety of locations. For Example: work, home, and local park's. Students are given the rare opportunity to cast the ECHO micro practice rod and fast and medium action fly rods. By offering this unique combination of casting instruction and use of top brand equipment, our students’ fly fishing skill and intelligence improves immediately. Note: instruction is on land and we are not actively trying to catch fish.
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| E.I. Fly™2X Private Casting Pond. We do not use hooks/flies during this class; only yarn at the end of your leader. |
This course is offered to those who have either completed the E.I. Fly™1X class, or have limited prior casting experience. At our private casting pond, we will begin to combine basic fundamentals with more advance techniques and styles of casting (these advanced casting techniques can only be taught on water). At the end of the class you will have a firm understanding of how to do the following cast's: roll, steeple, reach, serpentine, water haul, parachute, pile, tuck, false, vertical, horizontal, hauling, oval, flop, bow-arrow, and more.
E.I. Fly™3X: Intermediate Level (Casting-Fishing on Water)
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| In the E.I. Fly™3X class, the type and size of the fish does not matter. The goal? Before we get you 'in' a river, we simply want you to become more familiar with 'actively' targeting and catching fish. |
You have completed both the E.I. Fly™1X and 2X courses. You are now consider 'dangerous' (meaning you can cast and you are ready to catch and land a fish. Combining the skills you learned in our 1X and 2X classes, and at our private casting pond, we will now walk you through the mental and physical process of targeting and catching fish. For example, we will focus on fly selection, leader/tippet length, casting technique, fly presentation, line management, setting the hook, fighting the fish, proper catch-n-release techniques and much more.
E.I. Fly™4X: Advance Level (In the Water-River)
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| E.I. Fly™4X |
This is the highest level of instruction and guiding…be prepared to catch fish!
The E.I. Fly™4X course has been designed for students who have completed E.I. Fly™1X, 2X and 3X; or any 'advance' fly fisherman desiring 1:1 on-water instruction and/or guiding. Whether you are a student or a sport (advance fly fisherman), you will find yourself on technical water (river) experiencing a variety of fly fishing techniques…. all designed to build your fly fishing confidence and skill. If you are a student, by days end, you will be able to start fishing on your own.
Fly Tying
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| Tied on high quality vises made in Maine |
To complete the cycle of the E.I. Fly Fishing System™ we offer the angler the opportunity to learn how to tie his/her own flies. Why? Catching a fish on a fly that you personally tied is an experience that offers an amazing sense of personal pride and accomplishment. FCFF offers several unique options to learn how to tie flies:
E.I. Fly™5X Fly Tying: Beginner Level
There are thousands of flies to tie and hundreds of equipment options to chose from.
Where do you start? We believe you should keep it simple and focus on the basic fundamentals of fly tying. Once you master the basic 'fundamentals' you'll be able to tie any fly in the world! If you sign-up for a series of lessons, you will learn how to tie a set of 'time tested' flies that are guaranteed to catch fish. All equipment and materials are provided.
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FCFF provides all the equipment and supplies
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Please feel free to contact FCFF to set up your next casting class. Thanks for reading.
Mark