Deerfield Fly Shop

Advanced Casts for Trout Fishing
2024-06-12 17:30 - 19:30 (America/New_York) | Deerfield Fly Shop, 8 Elm St., South Deerfield, MA, 01373, United States
Jim Dowd, FFI-certified casting instructor, will lead a two-hour class on advanced casts for trout fishing on June 12. After a review of sound casting principles and techniques, Jim will delve into a few of the more advanced casts that trout anglers can use to solve tricky presentation problems. The reach cast is a great wya to mend your line before it even hits the water and allows for a longer drag-free drift of your fly. The curve cast also helps improve your drift but can also get your fly around some obstacles. The tuck cast is most useful when you want your flies to enter the water before your cast lands, a presentation that is particularly effective when fishing nymphs.
Class meets at the shop at 5:30 on June 12. Cost is $20 and class is limited to six students.

Beginner Fly Casting
2024-07-24 17:30 - 18:30 | Deerfield Fly Shop, 8 Elm St., South Deerfield, MA, 01373, United States
Come learn how to cast a fly rod with FFI-certified casting instructor Jim Dowd. Jim will lead the class through the basic principles and techniques of casting a fly rod in this free one-hour class on July 24 at 5:30. The class is free but pre-registration is required. Meet at the shop.

Trout Spey Day at Zoar Outdoor Sept. 29
2024-09-29 08:00 - 11:00 | Zoar Outdoor, 7 Main St, Charlemont, 01339, United States
Come join us for a morning of all things Trout Spey at our new satellite location at Zoar Outdoors on the banks of the upper Deerfield River in Charlemont from nine am to noon on Sunday, September 29.
On a river like the Deerfield with its high, tree covered banks and drastic fluctuations of water flow with regular dam releases, Trout Spey is a great way to extend your time on the water when it becomes difficult to wade. Trout Spey allows you to get your fly out to where the fish are still feeding without much room for a backcast and without having to wade very far out into a fast moving and treacherous river. Swinging streamers and wet flies in the higher water can be a deadly technique on Deerfield River trout. We will cover some of the effective techniques and flies you can employ with a Spey rod.
What differentiates Trout Spey from fishing with a more common singlehanded rod is the cast. Rather than loading the rod with long overhead casts that require open space of at least twenty to thirty feet behind the caster, Trout Spey utilizes the water to load the rod and thus requires little backcast space. Think of the Spey cast as a hopped up roll cast. With the proper equipment and technique, Spey casts can achieve considerable distance, even more than the furthest overhead casts.
You will have the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of Spey casting. Jim Dowd, a Fly Fishing International certified fly casting instructor, will lead several demonstrations as well as hands on casting mini clinics throughout the morning. Some casting may take place on dry land but we will also, if conditions permit, take to the water to get a true sense of the Spey cast. Bring wading gear if you’d like to try your hand at it.
While Spey casts can be done with a typical fly line and singlehanded rod, longer Spey rods and Spey specific lines will significantly improve the distance and efficiency of the cast. The world of Spey, particularly the fly lines, can be overwhelming. We will have a representative from Rio fly lines and Redington rods on and to help demystify all this. We will have on hand a variety of Trout Spey rods and lines to test out as well.
All this, and donuts and coffee! If you can make it, please stop by at some point.
Call the shop with any questions at 413-397-3665 or email brian@deerfieldflyshop.com.

Beyond the Bugger
2025-02-04 17:30 - 19:00, 2025-03-04 17:30 - 19:00 | MA
For those with some initial experience (like our Free Fly Tying Introduction class), this class will go beyond the very basics and introduce students to some slightly more advanced techniques and fly patterns as they begin their fly tying journey. Patterns may include hares ear nymph, pheasant tail nymph, bucktail streamers like a Mickey Finn, elk hair caddis, parachute dry flies, and other staples for your fly box. Each pattern selected will be chosen to introduce a different skill or material to work with so that students gain a broader foundation for their fly tying.
The class costs $20 and includes instruction and materials for all flies tied. Equipment can also be provided if arranged ahead of time. As a bonus, this fee will also include a $20 gift certificate to the shop so basically the class is free!
Pre-registration is required. Please call the shop at 413-397-3665 or email brian@deerfieldflyshop.com

Free Beginner Fly Tying
2025-02-11 17:30 - 18:30 | MA
Come learn how to tie a Woolly Bugger! This hourlong fly tying class will introduce students to some basic terms, techniques and materials of fly tying and guide students through the creation of a woolly bugger fly. No experience is necessary–in fact, this class is geared toward people who have never tied a fly before. All tools and materials will be provided.
Tuesday, February 11 at 5:30 pm. The class is free but pre-registration is required. Call 413-397-3665 or email brian@deerfieldflyshop.com to register.

Hosted Trip to Cuba Feb 22-March 1
2025-02-22 - 2025-03-01 | MA
We are excited to announce that the Deerfield Fly Shop is putting together a hosted group trip to Cuba to fish the world renowned Jardines de la Reina, “Gardens of the Queen,” on the Avalon Outdoors live-aboard yacht, February 22 to March 1, 2025.

The Jardines de la Reina is a vast marine park, larger in size than the Florida Keys. It is ideal for fly anglers wishing to live and experience fishing from dawn till dusk in one of the most pristine settings on the planet. With tarpon to 60 pounds, large permit and plentiful bonefish, the Jardines offers daily opportunities at the classic flats Grand Slam species in addition to barracuda, jacks and other fish that offer great fun on the fly rod. The marine park outlaws commercial fishing and tightly regulates recreational fishing so that anglers are encountering relatively unpressured fish—there are hundreds of miles of flats and it is likely we will go the week without encountering an angler from outside our group!

Jardines de la Reina is for those seeking adventure, amazing food (including fresh seafood daily), and complete comfort. You can fly directly from Miami to Camaguey, where Avalon provides transport to Jucaro port (2.5 hour drive), and then a 3-hour boat ride to final destinations which are approximately 60 miles from the Jucaro port. Overnights in Havana are possible with extra arrangements.

Once on the water, we have our floating hotel, the 190-foot Jardines Avalon IV. The boat is equipped with air conditioning, large dining and lounge areas and an exclusive crew. Guests will enjoy their fishing dreams from the minute they step aboard and are able to fish more hours and for more species than in any other Caribbean destination. The flats skiffs pick us up right from the boat every morning and whisk us away to flats both within fifteen minutes and further away, depending on what the anglers and guides decide they want to do for the day.

We have been offered a special rate of $6740 per angler which is a savings of $750 over the normal price of $7490. The rate includes transfers from Camaguey to Jucaro, seven nights of lodging aboard the boat with all meals included, five and three quarters days of fishing and transfers between Jucaro and Camaguey. Flights to Cuba, other travel expenses, gratuities for both fishing guides and boat staff, a marine park conservation fee and other fees and costs are not included.
If you are interested, please reach out to me at brian@deerfieldflyshop.com or by phone at 413-397-3665 and I am happy to provide more details about the trip. This is a truly unique opportunity in one of the most sought after fishing destinations in the world. I hope you can join us.

Women's Fly Fishing Retreat
2025-05-02 - 2025-05-03 | Deerfield Fly Shop, 8 Elm St., South Deerfield, MA, 01373, United States
Always wanted to give fly fishing a shot but didn’t know where to start? Then come join us for two days of fly fish immersion!

This will be the fourth season of our very popular Women’s Fly Fishing Retreat! May 2-3, 2025. These are aimed at beginners, but intermediates who want to brush up or reinforce their skills are welcome as well.

On the late afternoon of the first day, Cynthia Harkness of Fearless Fly Fishing, who has more than ten years experience teaching fly fishing and guiding clients on both fresh and salt water, will cover all the basics of fly fishing. From putting a rod together and rigging it up to selecting a fly and tying it on to casting that bug out there and where to cast it, Cynthia will guide you through the process. She will cover the basic gear and terminology, knots, hands-on casting instruction, fish feeding and behavior, and more over three hours on Friday afternoon/evening.

On the second day, we will reconvene in the morning for a half-day float trip in our area waters where our professional guides will get you on the river and help you put into action everything Cynthia went through the day before.

The cost for the Retreat is $375 per person and includes use of all equipment, the Friday seminar with Cynthia Harkness and a half day float trip, guide tip included. In addition, all participants will get 10 percent off anything in the shop and there will be special deals on starter fly fishing equipment packages. Contact brian@deerfieldflyshop.com or call 413-397-3665 to reserve your spot!

Free Casting Clinic, June 11th
2025-06-11 17:30 - 18:30 | MA
Come learn how to cast a fly rod at our free casting clinic on June 11th from 5:30-7:00pm. Shop guide and casting instructor, Kevin Mitchell, will lead the class through the basic principles and techniques of fly casting in this one hour session. Plan to meet at the shop at 8A Elm Street, South Deerfield, MA 01373. The class is free but pre-registration is required; pre-register by calling the shop or by emailing us at brian@deerfieldflyshop.com.

Free Casting Clinic, June 18th
2025-06-18 17:30 - 18:30 | MA
Come learn how to cast a fly rod at our free casting clinic on June 18th from 5:30-7:00pm. Shop guide and casting instructor, Kevin Mitchell, will lead the class through the basic principles and techniques of fly casting in this one hour session. Plan to meet at the shop at 8A Elm Street, South Deerfield, MA 01373. The class is free but pre-registration is required; pre-register by calling the shop or by emailing us at brian@deerfieldflyshop.com.

Free Casting Clinic, June 28th
2025-06-28 08:30 - 09:30 | MA
Come learn how to cast a fly rod at our free casting clinic on June 28th from 8:00-9:30am. Shop guide and casting instructor, Kevin Mitchell, will lead the class through the basic principles and techniques of fly casting in this one hour session. Plan to meet at the shop at 8A Elm Street, South Deerfield, MA 01373. The class is free but pre-registration is required; pre-register by calling the shop or by emailing us at brian@deerfieldflyshop.com.

Drop-In Fly Tying
2026-01-10 10:30 - 12:00 | Deerfield Fly Shop, 8 Elm St., South Deerfield, MA, 01373, United States
Bring your tools and materials and drop-in for some fly tying on Saturday mornings from 10:30 on at the Deerfield Fly Shop. Come fill up your boxes with your favorite patterns or learn some new ones from other tyers. This is free!

Free Beginner Fly Tying
2026-01-21 17:30 - 18:30, 2026-02-26 17:30 - 18:30 | Deerfield Fly Shop, 8 Elm St., South Deerfield, MA, 01373, United States
Come learn how to tie a Woolly Bugger! This hourlong fly tying class will introduce students to some basic terms, techniques and materials of fly tying and guide students through the creation of a woolly bugger fly. No experience is necessary–in fact, this class is geared toward people who have never tied a fly before. All tools and materials will be provided.
The class is free but pre-registration is required. Call 413-397-3665 or email brian@deerfieldflyshop.com to register.

Bugs and Beers
2026-02-10 18:00 - 20:00 | Tree House Brewing Company, Community Place, Deerfield, MA, 01373, United States
The second Tuesday of each month through April join us at Tree House Brewing in Deerfield from 6 to 8 pm for a themed night of fly tying. Each month we will let you know ahead of time the theme for the night (dry flies, bass flies, etc–requests welcome!) and we will provide materials to tie a handful of flies.
On January 13 we will be tying streamers–we have a few in mind that incorporate different techniques and materials, but suggestions are welcome. In addition to regular tools like a vise, bobbin, scissors, whip finisher and whatever else you typically tie with, bring a dubbing twister and hair stacker if you have them. If not, we will have some extras on hand. for thread, 6/0 or 140 denier in black, red and any other color you like to tie with.
This year our friends at Firehole Outdoors have generously sponsored Bugs and Beers–we will be tying on their great hooks and you will leave each session with a nice assortment of relevant hooks from Firehole.
Bring your own tools but we can help out if requested ahead of time. While these sessions are aimed at intermediate to advanced tyers, we will try to accommodate more novice tyers as well. Our goal with Bugs and Beers is simply to have a fun night of camaraderie and tying. We hope to provide a space for the fly fishing and fly tying community in western Massachusetts to learn with and from each other. Even if you don’t want to tie, stop by for a beverage and say hi!
There is a $10 material fee for this session.

Deerfield River Flybox
2026-03-01 10:00 - 15:00 | Deerfield Fly Shop, 8 Elm St., South Deerfield, MA, 01373, United States
Get those fly boxes ready for prime bug season!
This class will explore the various insects that trout feed on in the Deerfield River and then instruct how to create the imitations of these bugs that should be in every Deerfield River angler’s fly box.
We will look at the life cycle of the most important mayfly species on the Deerfield. We will identify and discuss the different mayflies that hatch throughout the year and we will tie flies that represent each stage of the mayflies’ lives—from nymph to emerger to dun to spinner. Then we will delve into the life cycles of caddis and stoneflies, midges, terrestrials and general attractor patterns.
Though geared toward the Deerfield River, these flies will work for most other New England trout streams.
The goal of this class is to give students a grounding in the most important bugs to look for at different times of the year and then demonstrate a number of ways to tie the imitations of these bugs at their various life stages.
Cost is $50. Class limited to six; pre-registration is required. Some experience tying is necessary. Bring your own vise, tools and thread. All other materials will be provided. Contact Brian at 413-397-3665 or brian@deerfieldflyshop.com with any questions or to register.

Tying Modern Streamers
2026-03-08 10:00 - 15:00 | Deerfield Fly Shop, 8 Elm St., South Deerfield, MA, 01373, United States
Few things have changed as much in the fly fishing world over the last two decades as streamer fishing has. With the ever expanding range of synthetic materials, the pioneering use of both old and new techniques, and modern twists on older natural materials, modern streamer tying has been revolutionized.
And, no doubt, this has resulted in many, many big fish being taken on the fly.
This class will leap headlong into the world of modern streamer tying. From modern synthetics to feathers and furs that tyers have been using for centuries, we will explore the materials available to the adventurous streamer tyer. We will talk hooks, beads and the various masks that can be used today. We will explore the many different techniques that tyers employ to get maximum effect out of their materials—things like dubbing loops, articulating flies, stacking and spinning. We will take a close look at the work of many influential tyers—Kelly Galloup, Mike Schmidt, Rich Strolis, and Blane Chocklett, among others–and dissect how and why they employ certain materials and techniques. And, of course we will tie several patterns that cover a variety of styles and materials.
More than simply teaching a few patterns, this class will take a deep dive into the concepts of streamer design—how the components of the fly from tail to body to wing to collar to head work to give the fly a certain look and action in the water and how different materials produce different effects. The goal of the class is to get tyers comfortable tying, and even designing, their own streamers.
Cost is $50. Students should have at least basic tying experience. Bring your own vise, tools and threads. Other materials will be provided. Call Brian at 413-397-3665 or email brian@deerfieldflyshop.com for more information or to sign up.

Women's Fly Fishing Retreat
2026-05-01 - 2026-05-02 | MA
Always wanted to give fly fishing a shot but didn’t know where to start? Then come join us for two days of fly fish immersion!

Our very popular Women’s Fly Fishing Retreat is set for May 1 and 2, 2026. While geared toward beginner anglers, intermediates who want to brush up or reinforce their skills are welcome as well.

On the late afternoon of the first day, Cynthia Harkness of Fearless Fly Fishing, who has more than ten years experience teaching fly fishing and guiding clients on both fresh and salt water, will cover all the basics of fly fishing. From putting a rod together and rigging it up to selecting a fly and tying it on to casting that bug out there and where to cast it, Cynthia will guide you through the process. She will cover the basic gear and terminology, knots, hands-on casting instruction, fish feeding and behavior, and more over three hours on Friday afternoon/evening.

On the second day, we will reconvene in the morning for a half-day float trip in our area waters where our professional guides will get you on the river and help you put into action everything Cynthia went through the day before.

The cost for the Retreat is $350 per person and includes use of all equipment, the Friday seminar with Cynthia Harkness and a half day float trip, guide tip included. In addition, all participants will get 10 percent off anything in the shop and there will be special deals on starter fly fishing equipment packages. Contact brian@deerfieldflyshop.com or call 413-397-3665 to reserve your spot!
