What is a Project?
Objective 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!
What We Do at Our Outings
Meet at multiple locations once every 2-4 weeks; outings last 1-4 hours, depending on the outing time set by the lead mentor.
Mentors teach fly fishing skills, such as casting, knot tying, fly tying, picking flies, reading the water, and catch and release fishing. We also teach on topics that we call, the characteristics of an angler, that include having patience, building self-confidence, finding grit, taking care of the environment, and seeking wisdom. The children also earn buttons for participation as they participate in our conservation initiative.
We provide a 1:1 mentor ratio, but we do everything in a group and have a 3 in a group safety policy. Providing a physically and mentally safe environment for the children we mentor is our number one priority! The second is fun!
At the final outing, every child that has participated with our projects will receive fly fishing gear to keep and a specialized curriculum to continue to learn about fly fishing!
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
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.
Fly Fishing Education
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.