What happens during a Fly fishing lesson?

One of the things I spend my time doing now is teaching. I teach all different skill ranges from those who have never picked up a rod before to those who want to become instructors themselves. With the highest possible qualifications, I often teach individuals of all levels.
From beginner fly fishing lessons where I teach the very basics of how to fly fish to advanced spey casting instruction and everything in-between I can teach those of any experience. I teach people of all different experiences it’s one of the things I enjoy about each lesson; no two are the same.
The first port of call is to find out what experience you have, and what you want to learn. We will talk through what path you want to take, and what your short and long-term goals are when it comes to the art of fly fishing.
Once I have all this information I can map out a lesson plan/s to ensure we spend the time doing what I feel will be most beneficial to you.

What can I expect in my fly fishing lesson?

The first part of any of my fly fishing lessons involves me talking to you about a number of different points.
We will first talk about the safety precautions that you need to follow while near water. It is imperative you are fully aware of everything that could possibly go wrong while fishing. With this information, you know both how to prevent a potential issue and what to do if there is an issue. I will tell you everything you need to know about; paths, steps, banks, wading, power lines, weather conditions, casting and other points, including a general risk assessment.
After talking about the importance of safety, I then go into detail about equipment, more specifically the importance of having the right fly fishing equipment and the fly fishing clothing. I detail and explore the function of all the equipment and talk to you about the benefits of buying your own fly fishing equipment with recommendations, if you ask.
Then we move on to the ‘active’ part of the lesson. Previous experience has taught me that a demonstration is always the best way to start any lesson. By going over the fundamentals and showing you the correct techniques, you can see firsthand how things should be done. You can then take that knowledge into the practical part of the lesson.
The practical lesson
Once I have run through the correct way to carry out techniques, we will move on to you putting into practice what you have learnt. I will then analyse your technique and explain your faults and how to correct them.
I use video applications UberSense and Slow-Pro to properly analyse your technique and pinpoint various issues that you can correct. After recording you casting we can watch the video back so you can see exactly what needs improving. I can then analyse your technique in details and explore what you need to do to ensure you can improve your technique.
When the lesson is coming to an end, I will give you a set of exercises that you can practice at any time. These exercises have been designed so that you can improve your muscle memory, which means you will be able to be much more effective next time you go fly fishing.
At Andrew Toft Fly Sport, it is my goal to ensure you learn everything about how to fly fish so you can enjoy fishing as much as possible. With plenty of experience and the highest qualifications, I understand many casting techniques and Fly Casting terms used by many different organisations world wide.