In the heart of Colorado’s fly fishing culture, a movement is quietly reshaping who can feel at home on the water. Community Fly Fishing, founded by Austin Campbell, is a nonprofit based in Denver that is expanding access to fly fishing and breaking down barriers for underrepresented communities in the outdoors.

“I’m on my 8th season guiding,” says Austin, “but the biggest thing I’ve been noticing is that I want to involve folks that would not traditionally have this opportunity. Not everyone can afford to get out there and learn how to fish with a guide.”

This realization sparked the idea behind Community Fly Fishing back in 2020. What started as a few casual meetups at local parks soon evolved into a full-fledged organization. “That first summer, we would meet up downtown, and within surrounding communities at local parks to teach people how to cast, how to tie knots, and about flies and basic entomology,” Austin explains. “It was awesome, and I really enjoyed doing it.”

From that grassroots beginning, Community Fly Fishing has grown thanks to support from key partners like Patagonia, Umpqua Feather Merchants, Fishpond, and Orvis. These companies have helped provide gear, flies, and funding to allow the organization to scale its programs. “We were able to make all these great connections in the industry,” Austin says. “And that’s allowed us to get people into the sport by teaching them, but then also donating that gear back to folks who are interested in continuing in fly fishing.”

Programs Rooted in Connection

Community Fly Fishing now offers several key programs:

• Fly Fishing 101: Held at the Nature Conservancy’s Phantom Canyon property, this full-day, on-the-water experience pairs participants with an instructor for a deep dive into the basics of fly fishing. “Once they get out there, we want them to have that full experience,” Austin says. “They will hike into the canyon and spend the whole day with their instructor.”
• Monthly Fish-Alongs: For those looking to continue their journey in fly fishing, monthly fish-alongs offer a casual, community-centered way to keep learning. “We just pull up to the Denver South Platte near Confluence Park, and we’ll have all the gear. We will spend that time fishing together and answering questions.”
• Urban Fishing Education: Partnering with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, CFF also runs programs on stocked lakes around the Denver area to give folks close-to-home access to fish and learn.
• Instructor & Guide Retreats: These events bring together new and returning instructors to build skills, build community, and expand the team. “That in turn helps us continue to build a team of guides and instructors that come from underrepresented communities in this sport as well,” says Austin.

A Mission That’s Growing

Last year, Community Fly Fishing taught 215 people how to fish. This year, their goal is to break 300. With a team of about 30 volunteer instructors—some full-time guides, others just longtime anglers—the organization is gaining momentum. “It’s been a lot of fun and just great to get people out there,” says Austin. “It’s been a blast for sure.”

CFF is always looking for support—whether that’s donated gear, financial contributions, or new volunteer instructors. “If people have old waders, boots, rods, reels, flies, anything you’ve got that’s just sitting and collecting dust, we can definitely use it and get it out to new anglers,” Austin says. “It’s really a community program so however people want to get involved, we’re always willing to get people plugged in.”

To learn more about Community Fly Fishing, donate, or join an upcoming event, visit communityflyfishing.com.

Meet Austin at the Patagonia Wader Repair Tour Event

Want to meet Austin in person and support the mission of Community Fly Fishing? Join us at Anglers All on Friday, April 25 for the Patagonia Wader Repair Tour!

In addition to free wader repairs and great conversation, Community Fly Fishing will be hosting a gear drive at the event. It’s a perfect opportunity to donate used gear—waders, boots, rods, reels, flies, or packs—and help get that equipment into the hands of new anglers who need it.

Come out, hang with the community, and be part of something meaningful. All the details can be found here.