none wrote:

All foolishness aside for the moment, though, does anyone know of a
group, club, class, or whatever in south-central washington state that
might help me get past the beginner's learning curve?

Here are a couple of lists of clubs in Washington. Pick one near you:

http://www.fedflyfishers.org/clubs/2...te_Province=WA

http://www.westfly.com/wa/wa_oande/clubs.htm

JR