Jim learned how to tie flies and casting at the Long Beach Fly Fishing Club while in high school and started active fly fishing in 1966 while attending Chico State in northern California. His primary fly fishing has been in the salt in Rhode Island, the Keys, the Caribbean, and in the Puget Sound and in freshwater for trout in the Pacific Northwest and Internationally.
Jim worked in industry for over 40 years in North America, Europe and Asia developing and installing information systems to implement lean manufacturing and inventory management best practices.
Jims a member of the Washington Fly Fishing Club, Trout Unlimited and Fly Fishers International.
John grew up surfing, SCUBA diving, skiing, fishing and lifeguarding in Southern California and has lived in Carnation WA since 1980 where he and his wife raised two fly fishing daughters.
He is a retired Senior Engineering Manager at Boeing Commercial Airplanes charged with “stress testing” international design partners to ensure appropriate engineering capability. John and his wife Katherine realized a long term dream of fishing Scotland’s storied salmon fishing rivers with a trip to the Spey and other European waters in 2015.
After a six year run, John and Katherine recently retired as Co-Chairs of the MBYC Youth Sail Program. This sail training and sail racing program serves 350 youths (age 8 to 18) each season through 12 weeklong day camps on Lake Washington’s Meydenbauer Bay.
A past President and current Youth Committee Chair and Board Member of Washington Fly Fishing Club, John is also a Youth Coordination Chairman of The Washington Council of Trout Unlimited in addition to Co-Directing the Northwest Youth Conservation and Fly Fishing Academy.
Bruce has lived 42 years in Leavenworth WA. Moving there after living in three foreign countries as a State Department dependent. Four, if you count New York where he was born.
Learning how to fly fish on his own at 12 in up-state NY and how to downhill ski, in of all places, the Caspian Mountains north of Tehran, Iran. (in the days of the Shah). He has also fly fished in Patagonia, Cuba, Korea, B.C., Alaska, near the Artic, and Mongolia.
After 20 years, Bruce retired as the Medical First Responder and Fire Chief of Chelan County Fire District #4. He also served for 16 years as the Safety Officer and Fire Science Program Manager, as well as being a Hazardous Materials Instructor, for Wenatchee Valley College.
He owns a Safety consulting business writting emergency procedures and safety policies for schools. A TU member for 17 years, Board Chair of Education and Conservation for the Wenatchee Valley Fly Fishers for 12 and proudly serving on the Chelan County Citizens Advisory Committee for the Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board.
I learned how to fly fish from Tom Owen when I was still in grade school. Since then, I have fished in many different lakes, rivers ponds, and even creeks that had no names. Passing on the love of fly fishing is an honor for me.
I am 17 years old and I have been fly fishing for 6 years. I attended NWYCFFA when I was 12 years old and had such a great time that when I was asked to be a Ghillie in 2022, my response was absolutely. Fly fishing and fly tying is my way of escaping. I can really think and concentrate when I’m on the water or at my desk. I also enjoy snowboarding, mountain bike and am a club diver.
I am interested in fly fishing because I like doing outdoor activities. I’ve gone hiking, sailing and clam digging on numerous occasions. I’ve caught Chum salmon on a fly and think fly fishing is a more engaging way to catch fish.
JUNE 22-29, 2024
$500 is the per student fee.
Once your application has been approved, you and your parents will be sent an acceptance letter with the password to this websites Payment page.
There you can make a deposit (which secures a spot at the academy) and conduct other financial transactions or request scholarship assistance (donated by a local Fly Club or T.U. Chapter). If you wish you can make your payments directly to Co-Director John Gravendyk, 818-291st Ave. N.E., Carnation, WA 98014.
When your deposit has been received you will be given a password to access our Library page, where you can review the schedule, class list, videos, explore informational links and use training aids that will give you a running start on academy topics.
The Washington State Council for Trout Unlimited, local Fly Clubs and the Washington Council for the Fly Fishers International provide the majority of financial support for this program. T.U. Chapters, local businesses like Echo Rods and Gig Harbor Fly Shop plus other generous donors all contributed to ensure this academy continues to provide fly fishing experiences, resource conservation values and aquatic knowledge. The academy is an all volunteer and non profit program and it depends on the generosity of the above mentioned, to help suplament the $2,220 + per student cost of the academy. Our thanks to them and appreciation to you for considering our academy.
12-14 years old: No license required
15 – 16 years old: License required
Two students per staff member.
Registration is from 9:00 – 10:00 pm on Saturday June 22. Students can be picked up between 11:00 and 12:00 on Saturday June 29.
Visit the volunteer page on this website. There is an application form there to sign up.
Yes, in order to use any of the academy watercraft it’s necessary for students to know how to swim. The staff are all swimmers and we employ a Certified Life Guard for the required Swim Test.
The Co – Directors of the academy all agree that your time at camp should be equitably divided between instruction, learning activities and time to fish. Fishing time is scheduled every day, after the safety classes on day one. By the second day you should be able to cast well enough to fool fish with a fly. FYI – We don’t use hooks when we practice fly casting and only use barbless hooks when fishing and tying flies.
No. Accommodations are dormitory style and we also require a same sex Ghillie in each dorm room.
A Qualitative Yes.
We can probably make minor changes to the menu. We’ll need to talk well before the academy in order to work out the details.
Yes.
They need to sign your application. They will also need to sign a waiver and release form found in the Library page under the button labeled ‘Parent Paperwork’. They need to sign and bring that form with them to the registration.
No.
If you take prescription medication or want to use over the counter medication you will need to self administer these items. Pursuant to Washington State law the staff can not administer medications to any student.
The Northwest Youth Conservation Fly Fishing Academy started in 2002.
