The Rhode Island School of Fly Fishing is owned and operated by two very seasoned fly anglers, U.S. Coast Guard Captains Bob Hines, and Jim Barr. Combined we have over 60 years of fly fishing experience in fresh and saltwater venues in many regions of the globe. As a team we are without peer in the fly fishing, fly tying, fly casting instruction and fly fishing consulting business. We are a group that offers a full range of technical, professional, knowledgeable and affordable services.
Capt. Jim Barr has been fishing Rhode Island, Massachusetts and nearby Connecticut salt and fresh waters most of his life. He received his Bachelors degree from The University of Massachusetts in Amherst, MA and holds several professional insurance and risk management degrees. He is retired from the Risk Management and Insurance business. He is a U.S. Coast Guard licensed Captain and owner/operator of Skinny Water Charters based in Newport, RI. Jim guides anglers in fresh and saltwater from boats and shore with fly rod and light spinning tackle. He has extensive experience skippering a Mako 2201 Inshore Bay Boat, Proline 23 Walk, Lund 16 SSV, and he also guides in ultra-thin water with Heritage Redfish sit-on-top kayaks. He is a Pro Guide with Far Bank Enterprises (the manufacturer of Sage and Redington fly rods & RIO fly lines). He is also a Certified Fly Casting Instructor with Fly Fishers International. Jim's experience includes being the first Rhode Island Orvis Endorsed Fly Fishing Guide, a custom fly rod builder and fly tying instructor. He is one of the founding members of United Fly Tyers of RI (UFTRI) and served as the club’s President, Director of Education. Additionally Jim is a long-time member of Trout Unlimited 225, Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association, and the Appalachian Mountain Club. He has fished extensively throughout the New England States, Pennsylvania, New York, Montana, Wyoming, New Mexico, California and Argentina's Patagonia region. Visit Jim at www.skinnywaterchartersri.com and his Fly Fishing in Rhode Island Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/FlyfishinginRhodeIsland?ref=hl.
Capt. Bob Hines is the owner of Fly Fish Rhode Island, Rhode Island’s premier fly fishing guide service. He is a professional saltwater fly fishing guide who specializes in shallow water estuary charters for striped bass. Bob guides anglers in fresh and saltwater from boats and shore with fly rod and light spinning tackle. Bob’s passion for fly fishing is not just limited to the New England salt. He is an addicted tarpon and bonefish angler who has spent time pursuing such species in Belize, the Bahamas, Key West, Islamorada, and the Gulf of Mexico. His sweet water adventures include several trips to Montana and Wyoming to fish the spring creeks along with the Big Horn, Madison, and Yellowstone river systems. He has also spent over thirty five years on the Salmon River and it’s tributaries in pursuit of steelhead. In 2008 Bob hosted a trip to the Alagnak River in Alaska for huge rainbows and silver salmon. Capt. Bob’s sponsors include Skeeter Boats, Tibor, Sage, Rio and many others.
In 2008 & 2009 Bob in conjunction with Providence Channel 6 producer Don Coyne hosted his own television show “FLYFISHING RHODE ISLAND with Capt. Bob Hines”- 26 episodes each year. Bob also has designed a series of fly patterns that are currently marketed through Umpqua Feather Merchants, one of the country’s largest fly distributors.
Bob has written several articles which have appeared in national magazines such as On the Water Magazine, Fly Rod and Reel and many other publications. Bob also conducts seminars and speaking engagements on all aspects of the sport of fly fishing.
Bob's charter service website: www.FlyFishRI.com
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