Rod:
After my computer crashed a while back, I couldn't retrieve a lot of material including the list.
so
Here's a new one:
THINGS TO BRING TO CCI AND/OR MCI EXAM
I. PERSONAL ITEMS :.
1.) Comfortable clothing
2.) Cap with short visor. Best for vision if bill is dark on the bottom.
3.) Shoes which aren't likely to trap a fly line. Velcro straps are risky.
4.) Protective eyewear. Tinted or Polaroid glasses if a bright day. (Might also bring reading glasses or visor loupes if you need them for knot tying.)
5.) Bottle of water, etc.
6.) Something to munch upon. (I'll never forget the time one of you who had diabetes was the last of a group to be tested in the broiling hot Alabama sun. Dehydration and a blood sugar down in the socks made good performance impossible.)
7.) Sunscreen, lip balm, etc.
8.) In some situations, bug repellent is needed.
II. TACKLE:
1.) Bring TWO (2) outfits. (Saves a mountain of trouble if a rod breaks or a bad leader tangle occurs.) YES we have had broken rods during testing.
2.) Extra leader and tippet material
3.) Clipper, Pliers and ice-pick or bobkin.
4.) ROD: I'd choose a fast action or medium fast action 9' fly rod that you have used extensively for practice. I think that a 7wt. will give you the best opportunity, especially if it's a windy day.
5.) REEL : This is the least important item. Best to have these qualities:
a. Light in weight.
b. Enough arbor diameter to minimize kinking or, "setting" of the line in coils.
(My favorite is the Waterworks, Purist #3. They don't make it anymore....but they do still make the #2 which is fine. An inexpensive good choice is the ECHO graphite composite reel. It's light, and has an ultra large arbor.)
6.) FLY: A hookless yarn fly works well. I prefer white to orange or red, because it's easier for me to see against most backgrounds including grass.
My favorite is to take 1 1/2" of one of the three strands of, "PACKAGE YARN" which is generally sold at Hallmark and similar stores (especially at Christmastime). I put a #14 wire hook in my fly vise, then tie this in just behind the eye after which I cut off the rest of the hook. Lefty pointed out that yarn flies really don't cast like real flies....but this does.
Bring about six of them, just to be sure.
7.) LEADER: This must be at least 7 1/2' long. A steep taper turns over well, especially for the roll casting and target casting events.
BRING AT LEAST ONE EXTRA RIGGED LEADER.
One leader receipe which works well for me:
a. Soft nylon
b. Blood knots between segments.
c. Simple nail knot connection to fly line.
d. Improved clinch knot to eye of the "fly".
e. Butt section: 4' 30 lb. test mono.
d. Tapered section: 12" 20 lb., 12" 15 lb., 6" 12 lb., 18" to 20 " of 10 lb. (This gives a little extra length in case you have to tie on another couple of flies)
# Some teach that stiff mono turns over "better" than soft. After working on this for years, I've found that it's the bendability of the material which counts. A segment of soft mono of greater diameter, can turn over with the same applied energy as that applied to hard mono of lesser diameter. The soft material is easier to tie, however. In the event that you prefer to connect the leader to the fly line with a needle knot, then you'll best go with the hard material which will have small enough diameter to get through the tip of the fly line.
# Lefty taught me to use the same brand of mono for each segment for best control. I think he's right about that.
8.) FLY LINE: This is the heart of the system....so is most important. Basically, you are looking for a fly line which will do each and every task well.
a. I prefer to match the line designation to that of the rod. (One exception if the Sage TCR. Sage doesn't make this in a 9' length. If you go with a 6 wt., I think you'll find it's best to match it with a 7 wt. line.)
b. My preference is a long belly WF 7 F line for a 7wt. rod.
c. Best lines for me are the Scientific Anglers XXD in blaze orange, and the RIO Longcast in orange. (Bruce Richards of Scientific anglers has agreed to keep a few of these available for candidates on an individual basis. You won't find them in blaze orange in fly shops.)
d. Whatever lines you bring, make sure they are HIGH VIZ LINES. (I think you actually have a better chance of passing with these for several reasons. First of all, YOU can see it.....especially for your back casts. Secondly, YOUR EXAMINER CAN SEE IT. That prevents the scenario where the candidate has made a perfect cast, but the line wasn't sufficiently visable to the examiner, so he / she is obliged to have the cast done over again.)
e. Bring fly line cleaner. (Make sure you have cleaned and lubricated your lines before coming to the test site.) (I remember one situation where the candidates were asked to make roll casts into a pond as the first event. The pond scum coated the lines and made following tasks more difficult.)
f. A BATH TOWEL: This is great for spreading out at, "ground zero". You can then coil your line on this and avoid some nasty, "grass cleats" which can catch your line, particularly on the distance casts.
III. OTHER:
#.) For MCI candidates, it's a good idea to have at least one simple lesson plan. Preferably one that the candidate has actually used in teaching.
(I once suggested having several of these, neatly typed out.....but most examiners won't ask for them. It IS a good idea, however, for the MCI candidate to be able to formulate one on the spot if asked. This might include objectives, goals, intructor/student ratios, etc. Or it might be a simple outline for a 5 minute teaching plan for a new caster at streamside. )
Some of you may have kept my original list. If so, check it out to see if I missed anything on this one.
Gordy
From: "Rod McGarry" <flyrod@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Reply-To: <flyrod@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Gordy Hill" <hillshead@xxxxxxx>
Subject: a checklist
Date: Wed, 14 Dec 2005 11:56:55 -0500
Gordy Can you help me with something I cannot find in my files? I think that you once printed a check-list of what to bring for a MCI or CCI test. It included line suggestions, extra leaders, a towel to set on the grass, etc. Did you write it or send it around? May I request another copy if I am barking up the right tree?
All the Best Rod
Rod McGarry
Coach/Guide
82 Mackworth St.
Portland, ME 04103-4532
207-828-4800