Projects
What is a Project?
Objectives of a Project
Our projects are designed to teach fly fishing, conservation, and provide opportunities for our mentees to experience the outdoors with a safe mentor. Every session is built around the premise that we are there to provide fun, build up the self-esteem of the foster children we mentor, and to give as many high fives as possible.
Stages of a Project
Our project stages are characterized by parts of the life cycle of a Mayfly. We mentor with 5 sessions, where our mentees learn new fly fishing skills, get time to fish, earn participation buttons, and receive gear to continue to pursue fly fishing.
Egg Stage
Introduction to fly fishing, the fly rod, and The Mayfly Project mentors!
Nymph Stage
Introduce casting, knot tying, catch and release, and time to fish!
Emerger Stage
Setting the hook, conservation education, casting and time to fish!
Dun Stage
Reading water, mending line, roll casting, and time to fish!
Big Catch Stage
Final fun day, fishing a special location and mentees receive their fly rod and gear!
“This has been the best experience of my whole life”
– Child from Southwest Arkansas Project
Mentee Curriculum
Our Mentee Curriculum is our program curriculum that teaches all things fly fishing, safety, conservation, and character building. With a youth-friendly design and language, children in our program enjoy learning about fly fishing in a way that speaks to them. We utilize this tool throughout the project–to learn and also to point out how fly fishing is making us feel or how time outdoors is fun.
Mentee Curriculum—each child will receive their own mentee curriculum that will include ‘Characteristics of an Angler’, and all things fly fishing. This book is to be used parallel with the button incentive program and as directed by your lead mentor.
Art of Tying Program
Our Art of Tying Program was created because just as fly fishing can be therapeutic, so can tying flies. We have worked with several foundations, artists, and professional tiers to create packaged materials so projects can teach tying flies to their mentees. We also have specialized videos by Tim Camnisa, and artwork created in our curriculum that reflect the stages of tying.
Art of Tying Program—We have packaged tying materials for youth to tie wooly buggers, Girddle Bugs, or Hares Ears. Not every project will tie, but we would like to encourage our projects to introduce the fun of fly tying and we have supplies to support these efforts. Talk with your lead mentor to find out more details. Each child will receive instructions in their tying kits and we also have YouTube videos available for you to follow or for foster youth to follow as needed.
Conservation Initiative
We believe that our children need rivers and our rivers need children. By teaching our mentees how to protect against invasive species, clean up the ecosystems we are privileged to enjoy, and practice safe catch and release tactics, we are inviting them to join in a cycle of caring for the environment. We use our curriculum and button incentive program as tools to encourage this unique connection to the outdoors.
I heart bugs
I tie my flies
Keep Calm and Fly Fish
Catch and Release
Wash your boots
Knots
Wear your glasses
Keep Our Rivers Clean
Fish On
Mentee Information Center
Join us in continued education about all things fly fishing and conservation. Mentees that go through our program have access to order further gear as needed, learn more from our specialized videos, and be further encouraged in their new fly fishing journey.
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