About Your Instructor
On the water and in the classroom.
Bill Ward brings an unmatched combination of competitive achievement, international experience, and certified instructional expertise to every lesson. His credentials speak for themselves — but his students' results speak even louder.
International Game Fish Association
Bill holds an IGFA World Record for a 16 lb coho salmon caught on 2 lb tippet at the Karluk River, Kodiak, Alaska, on September 7, 2001. The International Game Fish Association is the global authority on fishing records and ethical angling — earning a world record on 2 lb tippet demands extraordinary precision and technique.
World Record Angling Achievement
Bill received World Record Angling Achievement recognition from the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame for the same coho salmon catch in the fly fishing division — a distinction reserved for anglers whose records represent the pinnacle of the sport.
2001–2004
San Francisco's Golden Gate Angling & Casting Club is one of the nation's oldest and most respected fly fishing clubs. Bill served four years as president and approximately 20 years on its board. He trained there with Mel Krieger and Steve and Tim Rajeff, alongside other leading tournament casters.
Federation of Fly Fishers
Bill is a certified casting instructor through the Federation of Fly Fishers (FFF), the gold standard for fly casting instruction. FFF certification requires rigorous testing of both casting ability and teaching methodology — ensuring that every student receives instruction grounded in proven technique.
Worldwide Waters
Bill has fished and taught fly fishing around the world, bringing that breadth of experience to every lesson.
Golden Gate Angling & Casting Club
Bill competed in the first-year Fly Fishing Masters (2003, produced and aired by John Barret) casting competition at the Golden Gate Angling & Casting Club.
Book a private lesson with Bill and experience world-class fly fishing instruction firsthand.