If you have ever had a burning desire to learn to fly fish, MCFF’s Trout U is for you. It is a five week course that runs from mid-May to mid-August, and will include instruction on fly casting, knot tying, fly identification, entomology, fly tying, water reading, safety and conservation concepts. Students selected for the course will be transported to streams and ponds within a 100 mile area for fly fishing "hands on" practice with well-known, experienced instructors.

After completing the course, students will be given the opportunity to take a course in fly rod building and/or fly tying. The total cost for the fly fishing and the post-graduate course is $50.00 per student. Scholarships will be available to those who cannot afford the fee. Most everything needed for the course will be provided by the Magic City Fly Fishers Club of Billings, including fly rods, reels, line, flies and transportation to and from the fishing trips.

The August session will be a three-day stay at the Silvertip Lodge near Cook City that will include special instruction from some of the areas best known experts. A $25.00 lodging and food fee may be required. During that stay, two of the three days will include fishing the LaMar River, Cache Creek, Soda Butte Creek and other nearby fishing spots. The school district’s Community Ed will host this course and MCFF will sponsor it.

Classes are scheduled on Saturdays from 9:00am to 4:00pm will be held on May 15, May 22, May 29 and July 10, 2010. The class session at Silver Gate Lodge will be held August 16-18, 2010.

To quality for this course, you must be a teenager (age 13 through 18) enrolled in one of the area middle schools or high schools, have a strong desire to learn the art of fly fishing, and guarantee that you will attend each of the course sessions. Complete the application form and e-mail it to roncharmaine@msn.com or rwhemh@imt.net. No money is necessary at the time of application submission. If you are selected, you will be notified by one of the instructors, and arrangements for payment will be made at that time. If you cannot afford to pay, you will be given the opportunity to apply for a scholarship that will pay all costs.

Click here to download the Trout University application (pdf)