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Walter & Group...
[GH] When I opened this Task 3 topic, I never expected so much discussion. Many points to be aired. If this ends up giving both examiners and candidates a better appreciation for the details, so much the better. I, for one, am learning. Perhaps I'll be a better examiner as a result !
Some of the comments will dip into followup questions on the uses of and teaching of these tasks. While this goes beyond interpreting the wording of the tasks from a performance and expectations standpoint, that is not a bad thing because our candidates will likely be asked those questions.
As Dusty Sprague has pointed out, one of the most important reasons for coming up with a revised MCI Performance exam is to make the task descriptions more clear than they are at present as well as to make the Expectations and Reasons for Failure as understandable as possible.
I suspect that airing your questions, comments and concerns may well have a beneficial impact on future MCI Testing Committee deliberations . They will not be ignored.
Gordy
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[GH] From John MacDiarmid :
Gordy, THANK YOU so much for this series; very helpful to those anticipating the Masters Test and perhaps helpful for the testers to develop some consistency. Regarding #3, how many waves or curves constitute a good cast?
Regarding length of cast and accuracy, I use this cast for a downstream presentation to fussy trout. I want to land upstream and float the fly down. Accuracy and distance are not a big part of the cast...the current will take care of those.
John MacDiarmid
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[GH] John,
I interpret the wording, " ....a series of..." , to mean more than two, i.e. three or more.
You raise an interesting point on distance when fishing the stream !!
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[GH] Let's go to a comment by Steven Kemp :
I've always practiced this to a target at approximately 40ft. Hitting the target or getting close by shooting line (I let it slip through my fingers so I can put the brakes on if I needed). Getting the fly near a target is not too tough, but shows a bit of control and is much more fishing specific in my view. I'd expected to be asked to do this. Much easier now!
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[GH] Steven,
Shooting line and then "putting the brakes on it" requires even greater skill. Easy to use too much loop speed which can result in greater distance achieved at the expense of straightening out the wide slack line curves you intended ! This despite the fact that on task 3 hauling is not permitted.
When I need to get mend curves way out there, I make the mends - then shoot the entire thing out where I want it to land. This requires the use of lots more line for the shoot and the minimizing of rod guide friction by my pointing my rod directly at my "target" ..... added to that, a forward thrust on the shoot. Rather than applying any true "brake", I let the remaining friction in the system do that.
Flip Pallot showed me another trick for shooting it. He turns the rod to one side to minimize line slap against the rod shaft. If doing it repeatedly, he turns the rod blank 90 degrees to one side as he re-seats the butt section joint of a 4 piece rod prior to making the cast and mends for a distant layout.
Having said all this, shooting the mends out to a specified distance is not the intent of this task.
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[GH] From Bryan Martin :
I agree with Ally regarding distance cast being foot to fly landing point. Otherwise, as said, the wide wiggle would be somewhat lonely. Also, from a practical fishing point of view, why would you want a straight leader? You could get leader drag just as easily as fly line drag in fishing situations. Perhaps the task should ask for the candidate to be able to demonstrate both as this confirms the candidate’s ability to control the rod effectively and also understand the process. I would also ask the candidate what would influence his choice of leader length when using this slack line technique.
Bryan
Bryan Martin - FFF MCI/APGAI/STANIC Qualified Fly Casting and Fly Fishing Instruction
Devon Fly Fishing
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[GH] Bryan,
You raise some valid points with regard to the leader. These issues can be developed as the examiner queries the candidate on the practical uses for the technique. When actually fishing, having the curves include most of the leader is usually an asset. I'd use a long leader.
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[GH] Dave Barron tells us what he is looking for as an examiner. He raises a counterpoint re the leader :
Gordy
I look at the distance of the line in Task 3 as the amount of line that the candidate starts with not the amount of distance when he/she finish the task. I have the candidate start with approximate 40 ft of line plus the leader. I know that the fly will land short. I look at this task just as we look at the reach cast in the ci test. We know the fly will land short in that task also. What I am looking for is how the candidate performs the task between 2 ft and 6 ft waves. I also ask them to teach me how to accomplish the task. I do look for the fly to lay out straight and not be part of the wiggle or curve.
Dave
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[GH] Dave,
On the task 3 description, the leader isn't mentioned. However, if you were asking the candidate how to use this technique when fishing on a stream, would you not expect an answer which included curves or not in the leader and a reason for his decision ? I can see reason to have at least part of the leader and fly ahead of the curves.
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[GH] From John Johnson :
Hi Gordy,
I agree that to make six six foot (side to side) curves out to forty feet it would take a very long line (maybe 85 ft). Is that really the intention?
Could you give me some ideas where you would use wide curves verses narrow curves? I assume that you want more drag free float you would use the wide curves. Is it more complex than this?
Thanks
John
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[GH] John,
Dusty has indicated that the 40' distance was not the intention. As Ally pointed out, however, making multiple 6' waves will in almost any event use up 40' of line. That's the dilemma, as I see it. I suppose that problem could be solved by simply allowing the candidate to make judgement as to how much line to use and perhaps state it as a "minimum of 40' of line" in the event the distance achieved is not an issue.
In neither the Expectations or the two listed reasons for failure ("Unable to control placement of the mend; very inconsistent" and "tailing loops") is failure to achieve distance mentioned on this current version of task 3.
As long as the intent of task 3 is not to include a specific distance achievement, I cannot flunk a candidate who does not reach that distance.
From a fishing standpoint, l think the wide slack line curves would be used for either a greater length of drag free drift and/or for stronger, more rapid current flow as at least part of the answer. The fisher might consider using more of the narrow loops rather than fewer of the wide loops .... but, then, a fast current would likely pull out the narrow loops sooner thus diminishing the scope of the drag free drift. Stream obstructions such as brush and/or boulders might not permit a series of very wide slack line loops. The variations and fishing possibilities are endless.
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