Welcome | Alaska Clearwater Sportfishing Alaska Clearwater Fly Fishing School
Alaska’s first fly fishing school is brought to you by Alaska Clearwater Sportfishing. One by one we are creating fly fisher’s that understand the method. To be successful every time you pick up a fly rod you must first understand how a fish thinks. This program is designed to deepen your understanding of the ecosystem’s that Trout and Salmon live in. You will learn fly fishing techniques that make fish bite! Most importantly you will learn what it will take to protect our fisheries around the world for future generation to enjoy.
About Our School
We'll Teach You Everything!
2020 marks my 13th year as a fly fishing guide on Alaska’s Kenai River. I want to spend my day’s as a highly experienced fly fishing guide teaching my passion of fly fishing. I want to teach the method of fly fishing as a Guru in India teaches yoga. With devotion and commitment to the craft. I will be humble and start everyday with thirst for knowledge and so should you.
The program will greatly improve your experience on the water. Let’s face it… Life is short! Speed up your progression with this intensive school and work on all aspects of the game. This fishery is ideal for learning the basics as well as developing advanced techniques of fly fishing.
The focus of this school is to teach fly-casting, tackle, fly presentation, fighting fish, fly-tying and conservation of the river. From tying a productive fly to releasing your fish of a lifetime. I want everyone who attends my school to walk away confident as an angler which others aspire to be.
What’s the difference? This is a small batch workshop format that allows us to work together to improve your game on all levels. Most things in life are enjoyed more when you have the craft dialed. After you are no longer a beginner you can focus on the more important experience that fly fishing provides. Breathing fresh air, appreciation for mother nature, relaxing, connecting with family, clearing your mind, being happy and of course catching fish.
I am looking for highly motivated, positive guests that want to learn about fly fishing. We have 4 schools in June and whenever available dates exist throughout the season. A maximun of 4 fly fisherman can attend each school. Alternate dates and number of guests can be accommodated.
In-Depth Instruction Fly Fishing is Complicated; Let us Teach You the Details
$450 Per Person Per Day
Up to 5 Days & 4 People
All Alaska Outdoor Lodge and Conference Center
Fly Fishing Instructor Zack Walters of Clearwater
Dates: June 14 - 19 • June 21 - 26 • June 28 - July 3 • July 5 - 10
When you choose to fly fish and select a species to target that fish has a predictable behavior. Fish behavior is something I have studied from a very young age. The last 16 years I have professionally guided customers watching what works and a lot of what does not. I can teach you techniques that create certainty that if you do it the right way you will be successful. I try to experience every situation at least once in my life so I then know what techniques to use in the present moment. It will be a five day emersion, on the waters of the Kenai River. We will spend our day’s learning about the subtle techniques I have developed over the years. Of course, fly tying and some other activities will be indoors. Wether it’s your first time or you are a fishing guide I look forward to passing down the explicit knowledge I have accrued over the years.
- Two students per boat - Very personal experience
- All five day’s will be on the water - Practice, practice, practice
- Custom lodging accommodations - Versatility
- Eight hour days
- $2,250 per person
- Priority on hosted fly fishing destination trips
- Monday thru Friday - Avoid weekend traffic
Class Topics Include:
- Fly Casting
- Tension cast
- Roll cast
- Single / Double haul
- Reach cast
- Steple cast
- Integration of Zen
- Presentation
- Dead drifting
- Sight fishing
- Check nymphing
- Dry fly fishing
- Knots and pre-rigging
- Non-slip mono loop
- Uni
- Blood
- All brite
- Spider hitch
- Fly tying
- Guide ties
- Materials
- Tools
- Thread work
- History
- Philosophy
- Progression
- The future
- Evolution
- Approach
- 5 Step progression
- Pre-fishing
- Time management
- Crowd management
- Naturalistic intelligence
- Tuning in
- Equanimity
- Fish tongue
- Contemplation
- Hydrology
- Reading water
- River flows
- Weather
- High / Low pressure
- Rain or shine
- Timing
- Ecopsychology
- Psyche meets Gaia
- Human-Nature Relationship
- Nature therapy
- Meditation
What You Should Expect Here's What We'll Do
This is for you if you have a thirst for knowledge of fly fishing. I am dedicated to making this program fun, personal and the experience of a lifetime. Everyday of the school we will have a full day on the water and classroom time before or after. You will have time to eat, fish and sleep. What more do you need? Each day will be about 8 hours from start to finish. If this sounds like too much, you can always take a guided float trip where overall experience is the focus.
The Kenai River has millions of Salmon and Trout that naturally sustain in this large Alaskan watershed. I have fished many places around the world and found no other fisheries that have the abundance of the almighty Kenai River. It’s easy to catch fish on fly rod on the Kenai River and that is what makes this school different than any other fly fishing school I have attended. I have attended fly fishing schools in Montana and the Florida Key’s and what these schools lacked is a thriving fishery.
Throughout this school we will work on every aspect of fly fishing. Fly fishing on the surface of the water with dry fly’s, hinge nymphing, swinging fly’s and banging beads on the bottom are all effective techniques that you will learn. The cool thing about this school is we will be able to hook fish, learn how to bring them to the net and release them safely back into the water.
Lodging
We have partnered with All Alaska Outdoors Lodge for the Fly fishing school accommodation. Please visit there website at www.allalaska.com Please contact me and we can figure out what lodging works best for you. Cooper Landing has a great variety of lodging accommodations that vary from affordable to world class riverside accommodation.
Items Provided:
- Chest Wader rental
- Fly Fishing Rods and Tackle
- Fly tying Supplies (feathers, thread, hooks, beads…)
- Shore lunch on day’s we catch Salmon!
What to Bring:
- Waders if you have your own
- Fly rod and reel if you own (5 weight dry fly rod, 6-7 weight 9-10 foot for trout, 7-8 weight 9 foot for Salmon)
- Fly tying Vise and tools (Bobin, sizzors, whip finish and other tools if you have them)
- Fishing License
- Food, water and other drinks
- Raingear, mid layer, base layer, polarized sunglasses, fishing gloves, brimmed hat / winter hat
- Rental car to transport from Anchorage Ted Stevens Airport to All Alaska Outdoors Lodge and for daily trips and shuttles.