Orvis Announces 11th Year of Free Fly Fishing 101 Clinics

April 21, 2019 By: Erin Block

Orvis has announced the new season of Fly Fishing 101 Clinics, which are offered free of charge at Orvis locations across the United States. “Our hope is that we can help break down the barriers to entry and provide a unique opportunity for families and friends to come together and connect in the outdoors,” says Tom Rosenbauer.

Read more in the press release below.

Orvis Announces 11th Year of Free Fly Fishing 101 Clinics

Orvis introduces more than 15,000 new people to fly fishing every year through free fly-fishing classes. FF101 classes can be found in 43 U.S. states and include a free annual membership to Trout Unlimited. Additionally, for every student that attends an FF101 class in 2019, Orvis will make a $1 donation to Casting for Recovery®, a unique organization that provides therapeutic fly-fishing retreats to women with breast cancer.

“At Orvis, we believe that fly fishing can have a positive impact on people’s lives, and we want as many folks as possible to have the opportunity to get out on the water and enjoy the sport,” states Tom Rosenbauer, fly-fishing mentor, author, and host of the Orvis Fly Fishing Podcast. “We created FF101 classes to encourage people of all ages and backgrounds to come learn to fish. Our hope is that we can help break down the barriers to entry and provide a unique opportunity for families and friends to come together and connect in the outdoors.”

Orvis is an instructional leader within the fly fishing industry, hosting schools in the U.S. since the early 1970s. For the 2019 season, classes will be offered from May through July at Orvis retail stores across the country. Students are guaranteed individualized instruction on all the basics, like how to assemble a rod, how to attach the reel, and how to string line up through the guides. Students learn the differences between the fly line and the leader, as well as basic types of flies and knots needed for a successful day on the water.

“After the basics are covered in the classroom, we take you outside to get a rod in your hand and start casting right away,” promises Rosenbauer. “In FF201 classes, folks have the opportunity to put their new skills to the test, fishing on their local waters.”

The free clinics are held at all Orvis retail locations and many of their authorized dealers. Locations are listed at Orvis.com/flyfishing101.

FF101 classes are available in the following states:

  • ALABAMA
  • ARKANSAS
  • ARIZONA
  • CALIFORNIA
  • COLORADO
  • CONNECTICUT
  • FLORIDA
  • GEORGIA
  • IDAHO
  • ILLINOIS
  • INDIANA
  • KANSAS
  • KENTUCKY
  • LOUISIANA
  • MAINE
  • MARYLAND
  • MASSACHUSETTS
  • MICHIGAN
  • MINNESOTA
  • MISSISSIPPI
  • MONTANA
  • MISSOURI
  • NEVADA
  • NEW HAMPSHIRE
  • NEW JERSEY
  • NEW MEXICO
  • NEW YORK
  • NORTH CAROLINA
  • OHIO
  • OKLAHOMA
  • OREGON
  • PENNSYLVANIA
  • RHODE ISLAND
  • SOUTH CAROLINA
  • TENNESSEE
  • TEXAS
  • UTAH
  • VIRGINIA
  • VERMONT
  • WASHINGTON
  • WEST VIRGINIA
  • WISCONSIN
  • WYOMING

About The Orvis Company: Founded in 1856, we believe the most meaningful experiences are created by sharing the love of nature and being inspired by its endless possibilities. Orvis pioneered the mail order industry in the United States, operates more than 80 retail stores in the U.S and the U.K., and maintains a network of over 400 dealers worldwide as a trusted source of discovery and adventure in the natural world. We promise to open the door to extraordinary outdoor experiences, and to protect nature by committing 5% of our pretax profits each year to conservation efforts worldwide.

Learn more at www.orvis.com.