Reeling into the new year, means an opportunity to learn a new skill. What could be better than fly fishing? Led by biomed teacher, Mr. Nick Plazak and chemistry teacher, Mr. Steve Wood, the fly fishing club teaches students how to cast, read water, tie flies and knots and learn about stream ecology. 

The club meets the first Tuesday of every month at 6:30 a.m. in the Hoover High School gym. Plazak explains what a typical meeting looks like. 

“[We] normally have a topic that we work on,” he said. “We work a lot on casting. Then Mr. Wood and myself help students out with their casting or tying knots or flies. We at the end of the year have a skills competition.” 

No prior experience? No problem. Addison Haupt, a senior at Hoover High School explains why she joined the fly fishing club. 

“Fly fishing was a completely new experience for me,” Haupt said. “I was inspired to join the fly fishing club because it was something new I have never tried before.” 

Practicing fly fishing in the gym can make it hard to transfer skills into the water. Senior Carter Brant shares what Wood and Plazak have done to compensate for that.

“I have learned numerous different strategies from the club,” he said. “I learned multiple different ways to cast on the water and several different types of flies. I have learned a basic fly cast and a roll cast. Even though the club meetings are in the gym, the teachers have taught us specific things to look for in the water too.” 

Students at Hoover tend to be involved in lots of activities with a short amount of free time. Plazak explains how the club is something busy students can still participate in. 

“Meetings are [once a month] in the morning at 6:30 am and it tends to be away from the other activities,” he said. “It provides them with an outlet from school and something to look forward to and it gives them the ability to go to new places. Fly fishing is an adventure, it takes you to places you never thought about.” 

Though the club has a short history with Hoover, it’s a huge part of Plazak’s life. 

“When I went to Northwest High School, I had a teacher [named] John Rochus, [who] started a fly fishing club in 1994 and that captivated my interest in the sport,” he said. “He passed away a few years ago and it just made me want to pay it forward and start a club at Hoover because it has brought so much joy in my life and the places it has taken me is truly a thing of beauty.” 

Wood and Plazak starting the fly fishing club has also allowed students to connect with family members. Brant explains why he found interest in joining. 

“Before joining the club I have only fly fished once or twice with my grandpa who is very devoted to this type of fishing,” he said. “What inspired me to join the fly fishing club is it was always something I’ve been very interested in learning, but [was] not super accessible. With the fly fishing club I was able to pick it up easily without even needing my own stuff.” 

Though the club is not able to go on a fly fishing trip, the students are encouraged to go out and practice their skills in nature. 

“I do fish a lot on my own,” Brant said. “Ever since joining the club I have fly fished a lot more though. My experience is I am always learning how to perfect my craft. I had a hard time getting used to catching fish on the fly rod at the beginning, but now I’m a lot more successful, having a lot of fun while doing it too. I learned so much in the gym at [the] club, but being able to take all of that out on the water has helped me learn more.” 

Haupt explains the good the fly fishing club has brought to Hoover. 

“Fly fishing definitely adds something different to school clubs because it provides a more nature based club to inspire kids to get out more and off their phones,” Haupt said. 

Though it seems like a simple thing, fly fishing has been a very formative part of Plazak’s life. Plazak offers some advice to students thinking about joining the club. 

“I would encourage [students] to join if you want a deeper connection with nature,” he said. “When I think about the places fly fishing has taken me, it’s pretty remarkable. It started with a small club at Northwest High School, founded by my teacher, Mr. Rochus. That single experience led me to attend Montana State University, move to West Yellowstone, Montana and work at Jacklin’s Fly Shop as a fly-fishing guide just outside Yellowstone National Park. Everyone needs a hobby that truly captivates them, and for me, fly fishing has been exactly that.”