I’ve been a passionate angler for most of my life, but it hasn’t been until recently that I’ve discovered fly fishing. It didn’t take much to turn me into a life-long convert, and most of that was thanks to the folks at ORVIS WOODBRIDGE, my go to spot for gear and an insane wealth of knowledge. Over the course of the last year I’ve developed a pretty good relationship with the staff there. Their free Fly Fishing 101 course gave me more insight into the world of fly fishing in a couple hours than I could’ve ever hoped for. Since then, I’ve been out with the group twice to photograph their fishing exploits. Recently, they contacted me to document their beginner trout school that’s held at ROSE RIVER FARM in Syria, VA. I, myself, was a student in the school last November, and can’t recommend the experience enough. For those of you more experienced anglers, Rose River Farm is a beautifully manicured private fly fishing water available for booking. If you haven’t fished the farm yet, you really owe it to yourself. Once the calendar opens up, don’t hesitate. It’s likely the most popular private farm in central VA. And for good reason. The owner, Douglas Dear, is an avid fisherman, conservationist and advocate for the sport. Rose River Farm is also host to numerous PROJECT HEALING WATERS events throughout the year. The trout school is run by Orvis Woodbridge’s store manager, and fly-fishing guide extraordinaire CAPT. DUBER WINTERS. The morning starts off by dressing out for wading, and is followed by an entomology lesson and fly-casting demonstration. After that, the group splits up with guides Mark, Will, Mike and Duber, and it’s off to fish for the morning and afternoon. I spent the day creating promotional images, and having a blast doing it. Of course, towards the end of the day when everyone was heading home, I stuck around with Mark and Will for a little after hours fishing. Looking forward to heading out with them again soon! (more…)