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Once again Shrine Mont has teamed up with Orkney Springs Outfitters to offer an immersive 
introduction to Fly Fishing weekend course designed to teach students about the intricacies of fly fishing with hands on instruction that covers everything from tying flies and casting to pond and river fishing at the South River for trout. During the 3 day event, students will start with the basics of casting, practice on a stocked pond and then hit the river for a day of quality fishing.
David Clark learned to tie flies at the age of 12, selling them to the old anglers at Columbia Fish & Game in Lancaster Pennsylvania. He
finally learned to fly fish at the age of 15 with the help of a local fly shop owner. After several trips to New Mexico, Colorado, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and West Virginia over the next several decades, David decided to immerse himself in the craft by dedicating 110 days during the 2020-2021 fly fishing season to study many of the fly-fishing destinations here in Virginia and the fly patterns they support. Armed with this knowledge – and private access water – he started Orkney Springs Outfitters for both beginners and advanced practitioners.
Ryan Ross is a combat veteran, native to Shenandoah County and an avid outdoorsman. His military service allowed him to travel around the country including out West, where he honed his fishing, guiding and teaching skills. He eventually came back to his home waters where he lives with his wife and three sons. Mr. Ross owns a local fly shop in Bryce, VA offering local fly-fishing guide services.
Phillip Kauffman is a Marine Veteran and the owner of Bull Mountain Guides out of Highland County Virginia. Mr. Kauffman started his guiding career in 2017 after going to the Gallatin River Guide School in Bozeman, MT where he continues his passion as a volunteer with Warriors and Quiet Waters. Through this organization, he and his wife – who is also an avid fly angler – help recovering Veterans by taking them fly fishing. Phillip enjoys teaching clients to fly-fish as much as he does catching fish on a fly rod.
Forest Black was born and raised in the Shenandoah Valley. He has always had a love for the outdoors, especially when it comes to hunting and fishing. He was taught at a young age how to fly fish by his dad and has exclusively fly fished since. Forest is eager to share the love of his craft with others. When he is not fishing he can found bird hunting with his lab Tripp, tying flies with feathers from birds he harvests, hiking mountain trails, or floating the rivers with his raft.
Brian Cooper’s love affair with fishing began at four when he reeled in a 14″ Pollock off a Massachusetts dock. Hailing from western New York, he gratefully embraced the local tradition of skipping school every April 1st for the opening day of trout season. During his teens and the heyday of the Lake Ontario salmon fishery, Brian served as a mate on a charter boat and fly-fished its renowned tributaries. His pursuit of the trophy chinook, giant lake-run browns, and drag-crushing steelhead. Brian has cast his line in California, Connecticut, Illinois, Wisconsin, New York, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. He fishes extensively in Colorado’s trophy waters and the San Juan Mountains on foot, by train, horse, and helicopter. Currently calling Connecticut home, Brian is actively involved in fishing and guiding on the Fairfield County and Farmington rivers. When the water temperatures rise, he is an avid striper fisherman. Brian’s true passion lies in imparting his extensive knowledge of fly fishing and the art of tying flies. Whether on the water or at the vise, Brian dedicates most of his free time to these pursuits, showcasing his unwavering dedication to the sport he holds dear.
Arrive @ Shrine Mont at noon, check in, get settled
Lunch 12:30
Fly rod and reel setup overview 1:45 to 2:45
Fly casting 101: 3:00 to 4:00
Fly tying demo 4:00 to 4:30
Happy hour 5:00
Dinner 6:00
Breakfast 8:00
Fly casting practice at stocked pond 10:00 to 12:00
Lunch 12:00
Fly casting at stocked pond 1:30 to 3:30
Gear check for South River excursion 3:30 to 4:00
Happy hour 5:00
Dinner 6:00
Meet and eat breakfast on the go at 8:00 am
Travel to private South River camp 8:30 to 9:45
Fly fish South River 10:00 to 3:00 with bagged lunch on river
Return to Shrine Mont between 3:15 and 4:30 or depart from South River
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