WHAT YOU'LL GET
After five weeks, you'll be fly fishing
Post-Immerse, you'll understand why fly fishing feels different from other kinds of fishing, and why that matters for your attention, your stress, and your relationship with the outdoors.
Play along with the course and you'll know what gear you actually need (not much), where to find it (without paying an arm and a leg), and how to find a fly shop (that'll treat you right). You'll have practiced casting, tied the knots that actually matter, found a piece of water near you, and gone fishing at least once.
Each email ends with one concrete, achievable thing you can do immediately to help build your experience and confidence toward getting on the water.
If you have additional questions or need more help, you can ask anytime: I read and reply to every inquiry.
WEEK BY WEEK
Week 1: Touch water
Why being near moving water is already doing something to your nervous system, and how to use that.
Week 2: Find your crew
One patient fishing partner beats a hundred YouTube videos. How to find yours, and how to be a good fishing friend in return.
Week 3: Get the gear
What you actually need, what to ignore, and why a used rod from the right shop beats a shiny new one every time.
Week 4: Face the fundamentals
Three knots. Three casting drills. One very important reminder that it's okay to look like an idiot in a park.
Week 5: Go Fish
Find your fly lab, the nearby, forgiving piece of water that belongs to you, and rig the simplest setup to catch a fish.
About Nick
I've helped hundreds of curious folks catch their first fish on a fly rod through my Intro to Fly Fishing course at Portland Community College.
Each term I help smart, curious adults get that initial stoked on fly fishing. Some soar, but some stall: In gear anxiety, in the feeling that fly fishing is for people who already know things they don't, in a fog of not having a plan for "what next".
This course is the prep I want every new angler to have before they walk into a fly shop for the first time, or scout their first trip.
I write every email and read every response, and love to help anglers get started, wherever they are on their journey.