FAX: (918) 207-0050

MAIL: Dave and Emily Whitlock Flyfishing
P.O.Box 60
Welling, OK 74471

Books, Videos, Collector Flies, and Art Work: Available through our Whitlock Fly Fishing Gallery. All are personally signed by Dave.

Student Testimonials

"I have to say that shooting 60 ft. of line effortlessly and curve casting into a breeze is the least of what I learned. You both opened my eyes to the magic that happens when you're sharing something you love with others. You taught us from your hearts and it's an experience I'll always treasure." -- John G., Roswell, Georgia

"Rarely, in this 'modern' world, is anything more than it's billed to be. Let me tell you that your school, if anything, far exceeds your reputation. I just wish we were 'beginners' again, so we could do it again!" -- Pat & Annette P., Fort Smith, Arkansas

"You are excellent teachers. Your course is very well organized, and it is obvious that you have put a lot of thought into the methods that you use to teach. It was worth every penny and every minute of our time. We would recommend your course without hesitation to anyone who has any interest in fly-fishing." -- David D., Lake Charles, Louisiana

"We want you to know how much we appreciated your wonderful class and especially the time and care you took in presenting the material and lessons to us. Your dedication and concern that your students were comfortable and happily learning was most apparent. You both have a great gift for combining your skill and knowledge with fun and humor ……thank you for teaching us fly fishing the 'Whitlock way.' Jack will be better than ever and Donna will have a terrific beginner's head start! - Jack & Donna H., Laguna Beach, California

"Your fabulous school is still on my mind! I am on a real high and have been since my first day of school. … I can honestly say, there could not possibly be a drug that could give a 'high' bigger than mine when I caught my first rainbow trout. My serotonin levels are still way up there!" - Linda L.,Cypress, Texas

"Dave, you must know that those who regularly read fly-fishing publications are preconditioned to an appropriate respect for your abilities and dedication to fly-fishing. Count me among that group. I also play golf, and suspect that I would have a similar feeling if Tiger Woods was working with my golf game, although he would clearly lack the life experiences you are able to share. It was awesome. There I was casting loops with a yarn line on Dave Whitlock's floor! Soon those feelings were replaced, however. As we learned from the two of you, we also were making friends. Welcoming strangers into your home every week would be difficult, but I suspect you seldom say good-by to a stranger at class's end. You're enthusiasm for people and devotion to fly-fishing are a rare combination. The two of you compliment each other beautifully. Thank you for sharing three of your days with me. My wife will never give me a better birthday gift than this." - Doug C., Lincoln, Nebraska

"Mere words can't express my heartfelt thanks to both of you for giving me an experience of a lifetime. I felt like the proverbial child the night before Christmas each night I was in Mountain Home anticipating the next day and what I'd learn. One can sure tell you are true experts at teaching. For the first time in years of flyfishing I could understand and visualize what makes a good cast. Now all I have to do is train my muscle memory so I can do it! … Thanks again for teaching me something I'll be able to use and apply the rest of my life." - Doug D., Bucyrus, Kansas

"I just had to drop ya'll a note and tell you how pleased I was with the recent 3-day school I attended. I don't remember when I have had as much fun and been educated at the same time. Until the class I was intentionally avoiding flytying and fishing below the surface. Iwas saving them for later in life since I view flyfishing as a life-long pursuit toward goals that can never be fully realized, much like golf. Forget golf, now! What I need is a vice and a sinking-tip line! You guys have accelerated my pace and forced me ahead. Don't ever change a thing about the school. Ya'll have it down pat." - Bob B., Benton, Arkansas

"The flyfishing industry is blessed to have two people like yourselves who are willing to share your passion for the sport as well as your sincere concerns for stream conservation. I could not have asked for a more enlightening and rewarding beginning in flyfishing. The volume and wealth of information I gained over the weekend is immeasurable, and I look forward to spending additional time with you on your river in the future in hope of absorbing even more." - Bill B., Somerville, Tennessee

"It is not often that a lawyer is at a loss for words, but words simply cannot express to you my enjoyment and appreciation from my recent flyfishing experience with you. Your sensitive balance of professionalism, patience and instruction were matched only by the beauty of your effortless casts which we mortals can only aspire to. I genuinely felt that I was in the presence of greatness. I sincerely appreciate the opportunity of attending your school. You are both inspirations and treasures." - Danny C., Jackson, Mississippi

Location of Dave and Emily Whitlock Fly Fishing

Registration Form

Please fill out a separate form for each person attending class. A 50 percent deposit is due at registration and the remainder upon arrival. To send your registration, first fill out this form completely. Print your completed form using the button below. Then, fax or mail your registration to us using the information at the end of this form. We currently do not offer online registration.

Cancellation policy: If you cancel 30 days before the scheduled instruction date, your deposit -- less $50 -- is returned. If after 30 days, deposit is non-refundable.

After enrolling, we will send details about what you will need to bring, directions, travel, lodging & area information.

From Southern Living Magazine, May 1999

Fly Fishing with Dave & Emily
By Cassandra M. Vanhooser

"It's a perfect day for fishing," Dave Whitlock says as we splash across the North Fork River in northeast Arkansas.

I couldn't agree more. A mist embraces the Ozark Mountain morning, muting the call of a pileated woodpecker and the rustling of the pines. But I hear clearly the river's song, a softly whispered entreaty to test my skill as a fly fisher.

Just two days ago, I began the odyssey that made me a fly fisherman. I had never before held a fly rod, never really fished at all. But that was before I met Dave and Emily Whitlock, one of America's most celebrated fly-fishing couples.

At age 35, Dave quit his job as a research chemist to become a fly fisher. Over the years, he has distinguished himself as an artist, writer, photographer, and conservationist, not to mention one of the top professional fly fishermen in the world.

Emily, Dave's wife and business partner, complements him perfectly. She's enthusiastic with an infectious laugh. So seamless is their teaching, they simply become "Dave and Emily" to their students.

With more than 50 years' teaching experience between them, the Whitlocks have designed an outstanding fly-fishing school. The three-day course alternates between classroom instruction and hands-on practice.

In Dave and Emily's basement studio, we learn about fly tackle assembly, the biology of a fish, aquatic insects and how to tie flies to imitate them. Outside, we practice fly casting on a spring-fed pond.

All of this leads to our final test. On the third day, we travel to the nearby North Fork River. Here, Dave sets us free to fish the river. Dave and Emily move among our ragtag band of students, offering advice and encouragement. My greatest success comes with Dave by my side.

"I want you to do a backhand roll cast; then cast upstream and let your fly float down the current," he says. I follow his instructions. After several tries, my orange indicator bobs. I snap my wrist and hook the fish at the end of my line. The fish struggles, but I give him line until he tires, then pull him to the edge of the stream.

There in the water glitters the glorious pink, gold, and silver of a 12-inch rainbow trout. Dave nets my catch, then puts his hand on my shoulder. "Congratulations, kiddo," he says, a huge smile lighting his face. "You just caught your first trout."

Dave Whitlock is one of the top professional fly fishers in the world. He is a native Oklahoman who resigned his position as a research chemist almost 30 years ago and pooled his talents in painting, illustrating, writing, photography, fly fishing and lecturing to embark on a career as a full time professional in the arts of fly fishing. His art and writing have appeared regularly in many fly fishing and sporting publications. He has written four books, demonstrated his fly-fishing, fly-tying and teaching skills in eight videos and co-authored, contributed to or illustrated more than 20 other books. The LL Bean Fly Fishing School was designed and headed by Dave for 10 years, and he is the author of the LL Bean Fly Fishing Handbook. Dave has also designed many popular flies over the years, including the well-known "Dave's Hopper."

North American Sportsman
Vol. 1, No. 1

Whitlock Fly Fishing School teaches sport that produces stress-relief and fish at the same time.

Fly fishing is often said to be the most pleasurable and satisfying method to catch any fish, large or small, but it is also becoming synonymous with relaxation and stress-relief. In fact it is even being prescribed by MD's, in some cases, for folks whose health is being jeopardized by the pressures of their job and situation. And, there are good reasons for this.

First, fly fishing is a technique-oriented sport and as such requires focus and total immersion into the rhythm and movements of the cast. When this happens, most worries are forgotten, at least temporarily, giving a person's body and mind a break from that tension, much the same way meditation does.

Secondly, it gives an "excuse" to get out into nature, which a person might not otherwise find the time to do. That is something again that has been proven to be very healthy. And, considering the majority of waters that fly fishers wade or quietly paddle over are beautiful and often peaceful, the overall affect to the psyche is extremely positive.

Fly fishing is one of the few sports where you can actually catch a wild creature, admire its incredible beauty up close, even touch it and then release it unharmed. Often folks who have fished with conventional tackle and then have taken up fly fishing say catching fish on a fly rod is more fun because of the wonderful sensations felt from your hand, up your arm and through your entire body when a fish and that long, flexible rod and line connect.

There's just one hitch though...those first attempts at fly fishing can have just the opposite affect and be totally frustrating. That is simply because it is a sport that requires learning definite skills, as with tennis and golf. It is also because the lure is weightless and the line is weighted and so instead of casting a concentrated weight (such as the lure on a spinning-rod), the weight for casting is in a long line (called linear weight) and requires a unique set of muscle movements and timing. Luckily, there are expert instructors in the fly fishing profession who can often teach in three days what it might take students several years to learn on their own.

Two good examples are Dave and Emily Whitlock whose fly-fishing school is located just outside Mountain Home, Arkansas, in the Ozark Mountains near the famous White River. They have taken many aspiring fly fishers quickly past the frustration stage and right into the enjoyment stage. At the same time, because their schools are open to only eight students at a time, they are able to help the intermediate to experienced fly fishers fine tune their skills and ease them up to the next level.

The Whitlock's fly fishing school is located at their home in Midway, Arkansas. They have a studio classroom with a spring-fed pond just a few steps away. This creates a perfect learning situation because they can teach about technique in the classroom, and the students can go directly out and practice. But that's not the only advantage to having the schools in their home.

From the moment you arrive and meet the Whitlocks and their friendly black lab, you feel welcome and relaxed in the comfortable tri-level house surrounded by oaks, dogwoods, cedars, flower gardens and water. Emily actually makes hot muffins each morning to enjoy along with hot coffee or tea, fruit juice and fresh fruit and lunch is always a bountiful spread prepared by Emily's mother.

The schools, which Emily and Dave personally instruct, consist of three days packed with all the basic information you need to pick out tackle for your specific situation, rig your fly line system and tie your knots, choose the appropriate fly, select the gear and accessories you need, along with how to understand fish behavior, read water, hook and fight fish, tie a simple fly and, of course, how to fly cast.

All the fly tackle, flies, gear and accessories you'll need to use at the school are furnished for you by Whitlock School sponsors: Sage, Simms, Scientific Angler, Umpqua Feather Merchants, JW Outfitters, Fisherman's Eyewear and Wachter Nets.

The first two days are spent in the classroom and on the pond, and the art of fly casting is taught and practiced during several sessions each day. How to make a good, correct basic cast is emphasized, as well as how to roll cast, side-arm cast, shoot line and cast and fish in still water, and other techniques as appropriate.

The third day is spent on the flowing water of the river and learning the extra techniques necessary to deal with the fact that your fly is always moving down-stream. They teach you how to cast up-stream, downstream, across-stream and how to mend.

There's a seminar on seining the water to quickly determine what the fish are feeding on so you can choose the flies you want to use, as well as a lunchtime discussion about fly fishing etiquette and water safety. Then after demonstrations on how to dry fly, nymph and streamer fish, the students spread out down the river and try their hands at putting all this knowledge together to actually catch fish.

Every class is a mixture of beginner to experienced fly fisher and this works because the class size is small enough to allow the Whitlocks to give lots of one-on-one instruction to each person. They take students along at their own pace and add more complicated casting techniques for those who are ready. The emphasis during the entire three days is to give the students the basic understanding of WHY and HOW a good fly cast works, the actual theory and geometry of it.

They know that in three days you will probably not become a perfect fly caster, but if you know what makes a good cast work, as well as what makes a cast not work, then you can steadily improve with practice and correct yourself when they are not around to help you. In addition, you receive a copy of the LL Bean Fly Fishing Handbook written by Dave to take home and refer back to, which is almost like having Dave or Emily at your side to answer all your questions.

Dave Whitlock is one of the top professional fly fishers in the world. He is a native Oklahoman who resigned his position as a research chemist almost 30 years ago and pooled his talents in painting, illustrating, writing, photography, fly fishing and lecturing to embark on a career as a full time professional in the arts of fly fishing. His art and writing have appeared regularly in many fly fishing and sporting publications. He has written four books, demonstrated his fly-fishing, fly-tying and teaching skills in eight videos and co-authored, contributed to or illustrated more than 20 other books. The LL Bean Fly Fishing School was designed and headed by Dave for 10 years, and he is the author of the LL Bean Fly Fishing Handbook. Dave has also designed many popular flies over the years, including the well-known "Dave's Hopper."

Emily has been an avid outdoors woman most of her life, learning to fish when she was 7 years old. She has degrees in botany and biology and is very active in the conservation movement, especially in Arkansas. Emily combined her talents with Dave's in 1991, and they have since lectured, instructed and fished together all around the country and abroad. A natural teacher, she is also an accomplished photographer and assists Dave in all his writing and video projects. Dave and Emily are a unique fly-fishing team, devoted to the world of fly fishing and conservation both professionally and personally.

For additional information on the art of fly fishing, contact us here:

Dave and Emily Whitlock Fly Fishing
P.O. Box 60
Welling, OK 74471
Fax: (918) 207-0050
Toll-free: 1-888-962-4576