Quick cast / Books / Exam tasks

Michael.....

I don't know why, but our Orvis store was not able to get it for me, either.

We didn't find it at amazon.com, either.

Then I found that Barnes & Noble carry it.... had no trouble getting it from them.

Their email address is: BarnesandNobleEmail@xxxxxxxxxxxx

You might first see if Bob Rumpf carries it. His address is: caddis@xxxxxxx . (We should soon be getting his list of fly casting literature.)

Best,

Gordy

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gordy -

A question on oceans flats fishing - Is there a significant difference from walk and wade fishing in other venues

such as a river or lake? We know that saltwater fish tend to move a lot quicker than their fresh water cousins

when feeding and this creates the need for getting line out quickly and keeping your eye on the fish (hence

we have the saltwater quick cast).

We could also say that we need to be stealthy on the flats, we often have strong winds to deal with, and we

are often casting to distance on the flats but none of these challenges are unique to the flats.

Fresh water fishing can have its own challenges such as limited back cast room and vegetation that loves to

snag a fly line that gets close to the ground. These issues are not unique to fresh water but they are more

common when fishing fresh water.

I find it interesting that line handling challenges when wading an ocean flat is an explicit part of the test

when the rest of the test (except for the saltwater quick cast) is generic in nature.

I'm not suggesting that tasks such as making distance casts with limited back cast room or when

standing in knee deep grass should be added since there has to be some limit to how long the test is

(and I know that any question is fair game anyway). I'm just trying to understand if I'm missing something.

Thanks

Walter

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Walter....

You are right... most of the tasks are "generic" in that they apply to both salt and fresh water fishing.

This one was added purposely to test the candidate's well rounded fly fishing and fly casting knowledge.

It makes sense when you realize that there was a point in time, just a few years ago, when the FFF was criticized as an organization interested only in trout fishing. That was one of the things, along with failure to recognize different styles of casting which led to the resignation from the board of members who could have been valuable to the organization as well as the formation of the Salt Water Fly Rodders and other similar clubs. We've come a long way since those times.

I'll never know for sure, but I suspect this was one reason Liz Watson and I were elected to the CBOG as one attempt to broaden the FFF horizons with respect to salt water fly fishing. Same idea behind electing Simon Gawesworth to the Board, for a visible entry to the Spey venue.

The addition of a question or two on "salty stuff" as well as the addition of the Spey tasks reflects the new FFF philosophy.

Best,

Gordy

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gordy,

Thanks. That makes sense. I remember you saying that the choice of a 7 wt rod for the test was also

a compromise in that 5 wt is the most common choice for trout fishers and 9 is most common for

sw folks.

I've always felt the spey cast requirement is a bit watered down in that there is no performance

criteria for those tasks. Simply demonstrate single and double spey casts. No requirement to change

direction or to reach a certain distance or demonstrate accuracy. No discussions about equipment

or essentials. Fortunately there is a two handed certification for those who are interested in the spey world.

I realize it is a work in progress. The organization will, hopefully, continue to evolve to reach as many

flyfishers as possible. It is always a challenge to make everyone happy.

Cheers

Walter

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Walter,

Hopefully, this will always be a work in progress.

In fact there now are performance criteria for the Spey casts on the new version of the MCCI exam which goes into effect on Jan. 1st., '09.

I assume you have a copy. If not, you need to get it off the FFF Website or obtain it from the FFF office.

It is the: Federation of Fly Fishers Master Fly Casting Instructor Performance Test.

Read TASK 9 (single Spey cast) and TASK 10 (double Spey cast) with the EXPECTATIONS for each. These expectations are detailed.

Gordy

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From Rick Whorwood with regard to the starting of our Study Group:

Hi Gordy

I appreciate the fact that you mention us starting this process, but all the credit should go to you ! If it wasn't for hard work and dedication this group would not exist, my hat's off to you. Let me go on record as saying, in this industry their are many who can analyze a cast to death ( and yes, bull-shit does baffle brains), but not as many who can talk the talk and walk the walk, you are one of those rare breeds that can teach, analyze, and most importantly demonstrate what you preach. I'm fortunate to call a friend and have you as my mentor..

Rick Whorwood

Your humble student

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rick, Consider this:

1.) If it hadn't been for the communications between the two of us, it would never have happened ..

2.) You forget that I have been your student as you taught me many things about Spey casting that I hadn't known. There is a lot more I can learn from you.

3.) We all teach one another ...... no "professors" here.

Gordy