B.R.O. Rowing & Fly Fishing School

“Developing Exceptional Skills and Strategies for both Rowing and Fishing from River Boats.”

Are you a proud owner of a new river raft or drift boat and not sure how to get it river ready? Are you a seasoned river angler looking to advance your skills for rowing and fishing from boats? Do you utilize the same fly fishing methods from a boat as you do wading? Have you float-fished for years yet remain a bit frustrated when others are hooked up and you're not? If you answered yes to any of these questions you should attend BRO’s Rowing & Fly Fishing School.

Each year several folks enroll in our guide school with a desire to improve their boat handling and angling prowess but with no intention of becoming guides. These students aren’t really interested in how we shop for lunch, how we prepare a river camp or proper guide-client interactions. They simply want to row safer and effectively and be more productive while fishing from boats. BRO’s Rowing & Fly Fishing School eliminates the guide/client component of float fishing. We concentrate on the strategies and techniques required to become proficient at boat handling and positioning for anglers in addition to teaching the varied critical fly fishing skills from a river boat.

BRO Rowing & Fly Fishing School is not a fly fishing 101 class, though we do offer beginner half and full day classes through the shop. For this school we expect you’ll have a basic understanding of fly fishing but we don’t expect you to have any rowing experience. This ensures that we are spending the necessary time on rowing skills and boat angling techniques rather than basic casting and knot instructions.

Our outfitter and lead instructor’s guiding experience spans 34 years - he’s rowed boats an equivalent of the circumference of the earth – twice! Blackfoot River Outfitters Rowing & Fly Fishing School staff is second to none with decades of cumulative experience. We maintain a two students to one instructor ratio, assuring our enrollees remarkable practical attention. Our instructors are fun, energetic, passionate professional fly fishing guides who are eager to share their expertise. If you want to up your float fishing and rowing game take a minute right now and sign up for one of our Rowing & Fly Fishing Schools.

Dates

Spring: April 24th-April 26th, 2026

Blackfoot River Outfitters Three Day RFF School Itinerary

Day 1 - Introductions, school format description, boat rigging, river safety discussion, river float, fishing and rowing training.

Day 2 - Float fishing and rowing training, boat angling and positioning required for varying techniques for dry flies, nymphs, streamers.

Day 3 - Further nuanced float angling and rowing strategies on the water. Evening barbeque and hand out evaluations for each participant detailing rowing and angling proficiency, safety skill level assessment and suggested river stretches on which to continue their learning.

Proficiencies covered

Boat rigging and rowing expertise:

• Trailering boats, backing trailers, loading/unloading boats, and access etiquette.
• Know your accessories and proper rigging, oar/blade position, anchors, seats, leg locks, throw bags.
• Safety on the water and river rescue techniques.
• Rowing strokes including push, pull, right/left turn, double oar turn, crab crawl, feathering.
• Rowing techniques for fishing two anglers as well as singles.
• Rowing techniques for Class II whitewater (This isn’t a whitewater school.).
• How to fish the flies from the rowers seat.

Fly fishing from boats aptitude:

• Rigging rods, fly lines, leaders, tippet and flies specifically for boat angling.
• Angling gear organization in the boat for efficiency.
• Fly selection - the where and why of selecting one fly over another.
• Casting from boats - overhead, “James Dean”, roll, backhand and the open loop.
• Line manipulation - mending, reach-mend, swinging, stripping, and “fishing with the boat”.
• Landing/handling fish from boats including touchless techniques with hook releaser and with net, minimal impact technique for fish pics.