Eric Cook

Eric Cook is the kind of fly fishing instructor who makes difficult things look inevitable. With over 40 years of experience on the water and the rare distinction of Fly Fishers International Master Certified Casting Instructor — the highest casting credential the organization bestows — Eric has spent decades developing a deep, almost architectural understanding of what makes a great cast. More importantly, he has spent those same decades figuring out how to transfer that understanding to his students.

A native southerner based in Atlanta, Georgia, Eric's fly fishing roots are firmly planted in the rivers, flats, and backwaters of the southeastern United States. His target list reads like a who's who of southeastern species — from scrappy Bluegill on local ponds to the raw, line-stripping power of Tarpon on the flats — and his intimate knowledge of these waters gives him a teaching perspective that is both technically rigorous and deeply practical.

That expertise made him a natural fit for the Atlanta Fly Fishing School, where he teaches fly casting to students at every level of the sport. His effectiveness in the classroom earned him a nomination for FFI Instructor of the Year in 2013 by the Southeastern Council — a recognition driven by his exceptional success rate with students preparing for the demanding Certified Instructor and Master Certified Instructor exams. Getting students across that finish line is a point of genuine professional pride.

His involvement with Fly Fishers International extends far beyond teaching. Eric serves on the Board of Governors, contributes to the Educational Development Program certification testing, leads instructor continuing education initiatives, and participates actively in casting program committee work — a level of organizational commitment that reflects how seriously he takes the future of fly casting instruction as a discipline.

Eric travels extensively in pursuit of fish, having cast flies everywhere from Puerto Rico to Montana and many remarkable destinations in between. Yet for all his travels, he is consistently drawn back to one of his truest loves — stalking common Carp on local Georgia waters, where the challenge is as demanding as anything the sport has to offer.