Oregon Fly Fishing Guide School

Take your passion to the next level with the Oregon Fly Fishing Guide School.  Our experienced instructors have spent a lifetime on the water and guiding anglers into the most amazing experience is their passion.

Let us help you reach your goals in the fly fishing industry.  Oregon Fly Fishing Guide School by Water Time Outfitters gives you the most well rounded fly fishing guide training available.  This class doesn’t just cover trout fishing- we teach you steelhead fly fishing tactics, fly fishing for salmon techniques, drift boat rowing skills,  overnight camp skills, survival skills, jet boat river running and much more!  If you want guide skills that are marketable world-wide this is the right course for you.

As a fly fishing guide you’ll see the most amazing places in the world and have the opportunity to earn a great income.  Your investment in this fly fishing school is an investment in your future.  Guides are able to pay off their tuition for the Oregon Fly Fishing Guide School sometimes in just 3 weeks of guiding.  Even if you take this school to simply invest in yourself and increase your knowledge and skills- what you take with you will impact your outdoor experiences for a lifetime.

You’ll find the Water Time Outfitters, Oregon Fly Fishing Guide School is a step apart from other guide schools.  Located in Oregon we have a wide variety of rivers to fish.  We utilize this aspect to help you learn the most possible- from small walk-in streams, mid-sized rivers and large rivers like the famous Deschutes River.  With this diversity we give you a well rounded experience on what it will be like guiding on different water types.

Oregon Fly Fishing Guide School What We Cover:

• Learn how to safely row a drift boat and fish anglers from a boat.  All aspects of drift boating covered from trailering, loading, balancing the boat, fishing from the boat, to loading and backing up the trailer.
• Jet Boating- learn jet boat skills on the big water of the Clackamas River.  Reading water, navigating and handling rapids and turns in the jet boat.  Safe landing, anchoring, boat maintenance and more
• Fly Tying- we teach you the basics of fly tying – trout flies as well as steelhead and salmon patterns you might be using in an Alaska lodge (head instructor Rob Crandall is past editor of Fly Fishing & Tying Journal magazine)
• Fly Casting instruction.  We help you advance your casting skills with single hand fly rods as well as spey rods.  We also coach you in the best strategies for helping your future clients advance their casting skills.
• Entomology Lessons on the water- learn the intricacies of the hatch and how to imitate different stages of insect hatches.  Learn how to “dial it in” even on a river you have never been to before.
• Guiding Skills- this is where the rubber meets the road.  We help you develop good skills to enjoy your day with the client and provide the best possible experience on the water for your guests.
• Riverside Cooking- we will be camping and cooking on the banks of the Deschutes River learn what it takes to cook in the outdoors.
• Riverside Camping- learn what it takes to set camp properly, dealing with wind and outdoor variable so you can keep your clients comfortable
• How to market yourself as a guide.  We provide guiding career connections to our referral partners in Alaska, Idaho, Montana and Colorado.
• Connections to Industry Pro-Deals

Oregon Fly Fishing Guide School – What is included?

We provide intense instruction from day 1 – day 6.  You’ll learning is our complete focus.  You’ll learn by hands on instruction, watching others and learn from our personal experiences of 30+ years of guiding.  A complete handout will be provided with references and resources you can refer back to.

We provide lodging and meals starting with lunch day 1.  Our first part of the class will be on the Clackamas River.  We will meet at our river lodge at 1 pm.  When you arrive at the airport you can easily arrange an uber or cab to our lodge for about $50.  On the last day of the School we return you to the Portland airport.  (Schedule subject to change).

Day 1- meet at the Clackamas River Lodge at 1 pm – Fly Casting Single Hand Rods, Fly Tying, Knot Tying, Guiding Principles

Day 2- Drift boat rowing lesson on Clackamas River.  Fly Fishing strategies lesson. Steelhead and Salmon Fishing Tactics, Fishing from the Boat.  Spey Casting, Guiding Principles – Small Stream Strategies on nearby Eagle Creek. Fly Tying

Day 3- Jet Boat Skills on nearby river, Spey Casting, Guiding Principles, Fly Tying

Day 4- Relocate to Deschutes River, Drift boat/raft rowing, entomology, trout fishing tactics, Guiding Principles, Camp Setting, Camp cooking.

Day 5-Deschutes River, Drift boat/raft rowing, entomology, trout fishing tactics, Guiding Principles, Camp Setting, Camp cooking.

Day 6-Deschutes River, Drift boat/raft rowing, entomology, trout fishing tactics, Guiding Principles, Camp Setting, Camp cooking.  Return to Portland Airport 4 pm.

The Oregon Fly Fishing Guide School Difference

After graduating from Water Time Outfitters Oregon Fly Fishing Guide School you can have confidence in knowing you are well equipped to start your guiding career.  You’ll have peace of mind knowing you’ve got the training you need to help you through the challenges of being the “new guide”.  You can start your career with confidence knowing you have the knowledge you need for trout, steelhead and salmon guiding and boat operating.

Sign up today to reserve your spot.  Spaces are limited to ensure the best possible training for each participant.  50% deposit is required to save your spot.

Guide School Fee: $3,000

Upcoming Schools:

April 25-30

October 16-20

Water Time Outfitters, Inc. is owned and operated by Rob Crandall the head instructor of the Oregon Fly Fishing Guide School.  Rob has been guiding for 30 years and starting years ago teaching classes and schools with some of Oregon’s finest instructors.  His ongoing love of fly fishing is evident.   You may have seen him on a number of different shows with Flyfish TV or Columbia Country TV. Rob is also the past editor of Flyfishing & Tying Journal magazine. Rob has a number of his signature fly patterns in commercial production.  Guiding, teaching or tying flies Rob loves to share his knowledge with others passionate about the sport.  See more about: Water Time Outfitters check us out on Instagram.