Fort Collins Fly Fishing: Testimonial

Today's Blog Post

I have been fly fishing for quite a while, but I wanted to start off the season on the right foot and try to improve my casting. Mark spent 3 hours working with me on basic casts as well as more advanced skills. He was able to point out the little mistakes, such as wrist and arm angles and timing, that were causing me problems. He also covered some drills and techniques I can practice on my own. Whether you are novice or experienced angler, I would highly recommend First Cast Fly Fishing for casting instruction.

R. Broome.  Fort Collins, CO. 

Call or Email Mark

USA: +1 603-315-8800 (Colorado, MST)

Fort Collins Fly Fishing: Spring Fishing

 Today's Blog Post

Welcome to the 2024/25 Colorado Fly Fishing Season

If you ain't dragging - you ain't bragging

It's spring in Colorado - high elevation snow, low elevation rain, and warmer temps = RUNOFF.  In most Colorado rivers, runoff creates challenging fishing conditions for anglers. What's the very best way to catch fish during runoff?   Options: A) Fish ponds and lakes, or B) Learn how to deep water nymph fish.  

Want to learn how to drag nymphs and catch tons of fish - in any condition?  

Click link: Colorado Guiding

Fort Collins Fly Fishing Lessons: Testimonial

 Today's Blog Post

Do you remember the movie, The Karate Kid?  If so, do you remember the wax on wax off instruction Mr. Miyagi gave Daniel?  Mark does something similar, and it works.  For example, midway through the class everything, without thought, started working.  By the end of the class we could easily cast a fly into a hula hoop at 30/40/50 feet.  

Excellent class and excellent teacher - highly recommend!

S. Paine. Monterey, CA.

Fly Fishing Big Thompson River: Lessons and Guiding

Today's Blog Post

We offer lessons and guide services on the Big Thompson River (BTR). 

The BTR is 78 miles long, and the headwaters begin in Rocky Mountain National Park.  The upper river flows east through Moraine Park to the town of Estes Park.  There it is held in Lake Estes, by Olympus Dam.  Below the dam, are the middle and lower sections (tailwater).  From lake Estes, and before joining the South Platte River, the river descends 1/2 mile in elevation through the mountains in the spectacular 25 mile BTR canyon.  Expect to see amazing scenery, wildlife (e.g., deer, elk, raptors, bighorn sheep), and catch wild trout.  Species: Brown, Rainbow, with fish up to 24", and the majority between 8"-14".  Fly Rods: 2wt-6wt.  In each section, the river structure varies, offering anglers the opportunity to swing flies downstream, nymph rocky structures, cast dry flies and dry-droppers.  On warm days, wet wading is best.  Season: Upper May - October, and 365 days in the middle and lower sections.  Lodging: Estes Park, Loveland, or camping.

Q: Is the middle and lower BTR any good?

A: Yes - all sections are good, and produce lots of healthy wild trout.  When the national park traffic is heavy, due to easy access, we target the middle and lower sections.  The middle and lower BTR offers easy access to dozens of locations, and makes for a great 3-6 hour day of fishing. 

Q: We might stay in Loveland or Estes Park - can we do a fly casting lesson one day, and then hire you to guide us the next day?

A: Yes.  We highly recommend the combination of fly casting lessons and guiding.  In fact, we can customize a fly fishing program for you, e.g. 1-2 hours casting instruction, followed by 2-6 hours of guiding (catching fish), on the same day or multiple days. 

Q: How long is a day of guiding and what are your prices?

A: We offer four, six, and eight hours per day.  Please see pricing information in the link below. 

Thank you for reading, and for more information on lessons and guiding:

USA Lessons

USA Guiding