Fly Fishing Guide School
2026 Class Dates (Not Booking Yet)
- Session #1: May 25th - 29th, 2026
So you want to share fly fishing with others and enhance your teaching skills? Let Vail Valley Anglers help. You don’t have to be the world’s greatest fly fisherman to be a guide. Guiding is a learned skill. Our course will provide the necessary skills to help you in your quest to guiding fly fishing trips.The focus of this course is guide skills, not necessarily fly fishing skills. However, techniques and approach are an important part of guiding. We want to be clear that if you are coming to this school to go fly fishing for a week, you are probably in the wrong school.
Lodging is not included but we do have lodging discounts available for students. There are also opportunities for camping close by and we do have a shower facility we can offer to students.
Additional Information:
The guide training course includes five days of classroom and on-river instruction from our team of world class fly fishing guides. With over 50 years of combined experience, our guides ensure that you are getting the best instruction available. It is recommended that you book in advance to ensure your spot. Students will need to supply a fishing license, equipment and lunch. There is a 50% non-refundable deposit required. 15 days from the start time of your course, 100% payment is required and is non-refundable. Credit cards are accepted.
If you are interested in becoming a certified float guide, check out our Float Certification courses being offered on May 6-10 and May 13-17 in conjunction with the training courses above.
What To Bring:
We recommend that you be prepared to fish every day and suggest bringing waders, boots and fishing equipment. The weather is unpredictable this time of year so be prepared for the worst case scenario. We suggest bringing a hat, gloves, rain jacket, sunscreen, change of dry clothes, polarized sunglasses, LUNCH, snacks, water bottle and a gear or dry bag to put it all in. LUNCH IS NOT PROVIDED. If you need waders and boots, please let us know ahead of time and Vail Valley Anglers can supply you with them.
Lodging:
We do not provide lodging but there are several options available for our students. Just outside the doors of the Vail Valley Anglers fly shop is the Inn at Riverwalk where students will receive a discounted rate of 10% off. Other hotel options in Vail and Beaver Creek are endless at this time of year since it is after ski season and before the busy summer season. Additionally, there are several campgrounds in the area where students may wish to stay. For students who are looking to share lodging costs please contact the shop to get in touch with other students.
First Aid & CPR Training:
All fly fishing guides in the state of Colorado Must complete First Aid CPR training. Vail Valley Anglers does not provide this certification and must be obtained elsewhere.
Employment Opportunities:
If you are interested in becoming a guide with Vail Valley Anglers, this course is an excellent way to jumpstart your career as a guide. This course will provide at least the minimum of 50 hours of on-river instruction as required by the state of Colorado. Students will be qualified to guide only with certified trip leaders present on the same trip. An additional 250 commercial miles and 250 miles of recreational boating are required in order to achieve trip leader status. These additional hours of training must occur on equal or greater classification water to the types of rivers you will be guiding upon. After successful completion of the course, you may be offered a job with Vail Valley Anglers as a guide. Our instructors will evaluate each participant individually.
Meet Your Instructors
Rob Waters
Rob has been guiding since 2003 in the Vail Valley and spends over 150+ days on the water with guests
Bryant Compton
Bryant has been guiding guiding on rivers since 1995, starting out as a raft guide and kayaker, evolving to a fly fishing guide.
