In its first year the Outdoor Academy created two separate youth fly fishing guide schools that were entirely free to the students who participated in them.  Each of the participants received brand new fly rods, reels, waders and boots in an effort to eliminate any hurdles that may exist in participating in a new sport. In these programs students spent multiple weekends working with professional fly fishing guides, learning the skills and techniques required to guide clients on the water.  We are proud to say that many of our students have reported back to us saying how much these guide schools helped them to grow as young adults, giving them the confidence to work with a wide variety of people and age groups.

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The educational aspects of these guide schools went beyond just fishing and also focused on the conservation of our public lands. Students learned the importance of protecting our local resources for future generations to come and even participated in the planting of willows along waterways in the National Monument to help preserve the ecosystem. They all left the guide school with a sense of pride for their local public lands and an understanding of just how important it is that we all help to protect them.

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We would like to thank the Taos Fly Shop and the Reel Life of Santa Fe for hosting these guide schools and taking the time to educate the next generation of outdoor people. Furthermore we would also like to thank Vidal Gonzales for all of his hard work in connecting students to the Reel Life guide school and being a phenomenal teacher to the students who participated. All of the people involved in these programs went above and beyond in creating a safe and fun environment that fostered learning and growth for all. Additionally, each of these shops have hired one intern from each of their youth guide schools to work in their shops.  We at Outdoor Academy are excited to see where these students go from here and are happy to have helped them build a strong foundation to build upon.