[SPAM] Advice to an MCI Candidate

Here is an edited message which I sent to one of our candidates who showed great promise, but was otherwise totally unprepared for the MCI exam leading to an unsuccessful outcome. That candidate has now joined our Group. Having edited out all the personal references, I felt this should be shared by all MCI candidates.

One thing above all that I'd recommend is that you take plenty of time to prepare before you test once again.

1.) Get and study every word in the Master Study Guide. Study, in detail, every article appended. (A wealth of information there, as these have been carefully selected.)

2.) Put many hours into reading most of the books and articles listed in that guide. (Make notes for later review).

e. Gary Borger's book....PRESENTATION. (This is out of print, but you can usually find a copy at Amazon.com...or from Gary directly. I think this is one of the very best ones ever printed !)

K. Trout by Ernie Schwiebert ( 1700 pages + serving as a great reference book, particularly on the history of fly fishing.) (Your library may have it.)

As you do this studying, make mental and some written notes on the differences of opinion and the different terms the authors use. That is particularly important as you read 2 of them...ie. Jason Borger's book and Casting Angles by Mac Brown. ( For me, it helped to have a little pad on which I put down their special abbreviations and terms as I read deep into the text and these things kept coming up.)

4.) Many videos out there on fly casting. The ones which deserve very careful study (watching several times as you take notes for later review) I feel, are:

a. Joan Wulff's DYNAMICS OF FLY CASTING (Easier with the DVD disc...as you can more easily go back and forth as you cover every detail and wish to review portions.)

e. TEACHING YOURSELF TO FLY CAST by Bill Gammel. (This one, I feel is a MUST, because it teaches in an organized way based upon the essentials.)

f. BASIC FLY CASTING by Doug Swisher and ADVANCED FLY CASTING by Doug Swisher (Teaches the various casts to be used under various stream conditions.)

Your local fly shop can order these for you. Best to contact Bill Gammel directly for his tape. If you have trouble finding the others, let me know and I'll try to dig out an address for you. Amazon.com or similar source may have them.

5.) I'd also suggest that you work on the casting tasks and teaching tasks with any Masters or CBOG's that you can contact. Most of them will be happy to help you all they can. This won't occur UNLESS YOU TAKE THE TROUBLE TO MAKE THE CONTACTS.

6.) Work with MCI's and/or CBOG's as they teach, so you can gain insight into their various methods of handling teaching scenarios and problems. You can find out who the MCI's and CBOG's in your Council or near you via the FFF Website or by contacting the FFF Office in Livingston, Montana, directly. You might ask to visit some of the recognized schools of fly casting to observe the teaching methods used there. As an MCI candidate, you are likely to be welcomed warmly.

7.) Do as much hands-on teaching as you can. No substitute for this. Lack of this experience invariably shows up about 15 minutes into the exam. All of the CBOG's agreed with that.

8.) Some candidates show that they have been in the "dark" about the scope and breadth of the test. They arrive totally unprepared.....because they didn't know. DON'T BE ONE OF THEM ! If in doubt, call and discuss this with one of our CBOG's. This is a good idea to do in any event.

9.) Don't be in a hurry. Usually takes at least a couple of years after gaining your CCI to gain this much knowledge beyond that level to qualify as an MCI. (I took 6 years after my CCI, studying, teaching, and working with 5 different CBOG's and 4 MCI's before I took my exam.)

10.) Finding a, "study-buddy" and bouncing questions off one another helps a great deal. (Years ago, Rick Whorwood and I spent 2 years e-mailing challenging questions to one another as we did that studying. No excuse that you don't have anyone nearby for that.....Rick lives in Canada, and I live down in the Florida Keys. It worked out fine despite the distance.) One way to do that is something with which I can help. I thought of having the MCI candidates presently in our Study Group identify themselves for possible match-up of that kind.

Rick and I sent questions requiring two answers for each. A short answer with as few words as possible, and a long one.

11.) It helps tremendously to take an MCI prep course. Some of the best of these don't involve any fees....such as Joe Libeu's course at Long Beach California. Tom White and I have given week long courses here in the Keys....and we may give another in March, '07. There are others....some I don't know about, but the Barbara Wuebber at the FFF office may be able to let you know about some of them.

I'm convinced that if you take the time to do all I've outlined, and add many hours of frequent casting practice with specific self-improvement goals in mind with each cast, that YOU WILL PASS. Those who have been successful invariably cite the JOURNEY as having the most value. Savor this and take your time along the way. The, "cramming and hoping to pass" method won't work. If it did, it would be a disservice to you, your students, and our Casting Certification Program.

Any time you wish to call me, please do. My number is: (305) 872-2106. I'll help you all I can. If you wish to send a private question to me by e-mail and not share with the Group, that's fine. Just let me know by writing something like, "Just between us". Of course I'll honor that.

If you should ever wish to plan a trip down here in Florida, let me know and we can spend a whole day or more going over this stuff.

It will help you to be as active with questions, comments, suggestions and contributions as you participate our Study Group. No question is too small or too big. If I don't know the answer, some of the other 94 members will....if not, we'll contact whatever "Guru" is best known for handling that problem. We have members from the US, Canada, Ireland, England, and Australia. Many MCI's and CBOG's have joined. It's FUN...and we learn from one another. Been going on for the past 5 years.