Walter & Group..............
Gary brings up some good points, here. My answer follows his letter : -
Gordy,
Is it unreasonable to expect that some form of water pool be available for
this important test?
When you expect performance of spey or roll casts, is not the presence of
water for the 'stick' or anchor not integral?
Yes I can "simulate" spey maneuvers and "perform" a roll cast on grass.
The real question is "Should I 'have' to?"
When I teach my classes, we load up & transport ourselves to a local
shallow body of water for roll casts and switch casts and spey maneuvers.
I think it is part of a complete lesson. I also teach how to practice on
dry surfaces.
I set up a small temporary casting pond for a roll-casting demonstration I
am doing tomorrow in less than an hour, including filling it with a couple
of inches of water.
I hear a few cranky detractors question what is really being tested if the
performance test is not on water for the Master level.
I'll do what the examiner and the venue demand. This is an area where our
process & standards could be more realistic and respectable. More
consistency between exams would not necessarily be a bad thing either.
It seems like a small concession when an applicant has travelled hundreds
of miles to the venue & invested lots of time and study, to give a wet
surface to use for these required tasks. It seems a matter of commitment
by the FFF and CBOG to legitimize the process in very practical terms.
Even as small a commitment as stating "...roll and spey portions shall be
on water if at all possible..." would empower the examiners to raise the
standard and reduce the opportunity for our testing process to be
ridiculed.
I presume this is part of the CBOG discussion.
Respectfully,
Gary
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Gary...
Different venues for the testing demand flexibility. For example, we've had some MCCI candidates who have elected to test in below freezing temperatures on the snow and they have done well. Others have passed when tested in howling winds.
Some elect to take the exam indoors.....such as in a Gym or other similar facility. (In one well respected MCCI prep course, it was recommended that the candidate choose that.)
Sometimes we do the testing on a grass lawn because of pressure on the use of the one casting pond available at some Conclaves or fly fishing shows. Those casting ponds almost always have attendees collected around them. We strive to keep the testing as private as we can as we feel that is in the best intrests of those being tested. This is described in our, CANDIDATE'S BILL OF RIGHTS just completed last year.
Most of the candidates who are well prepared and do well on other parts of the test, have no trouble doing the roll cast tasks without water. They have developed enough control of casting that this isn't a problem for them. If they can do it on grass or a smooth floor, I know they can do so on water.
That indicates to me that I'm dealing with a seasoned candidate who can adapt well enough so that he/she would also be able to handle these problems well in a teaching situation where ideal conditions are not available. Being able to teach roll casting on grass should be part of a Master's bag of tricks.
Once the candidate passes, the new MCCI can expect to comply, for example, if an instructor is suddenly unavailable to teach a class at a conclave and he's asked to step in and handle the class. That might well be a class on distance roll casting already scheduled for a particular time on a football field.
Having said all that, in the interest of being as fair as possible, I would not flunk a candidate who could do all the roll cast tasks perfectly on water but not on grass for that reason alone. If possible, I'd even postpone completion of the exam to give a chance for that candidate to do it on water. In that case, however, it would diminish my impression of that candidate's overall teaching ability. Remember.....this exam is more about teaching expertise than casting or fly fishing. A real MASTER should be able to do it all with confidence.
Again, while talking about fairness; when I give an exam, I WHOLEHEARTEDLY WANT MY TESTING CANDIDATE TO PASS !
I am as disappointed as the candidate if I can't do that because he/she just can't meet the high standards required to become a Master Instructor. We've discussed this many times and I can tell you that I've never heard any member of the CBOG state otherwise.
Gordy