Fly line selection

[bartdezwaan]

How about a Wulff Triangle Taper? I have seen some dutch people use it. It makes the water casts easy and is quit heavy (it at least feels heavy to me. Did not weight one)

[Lasse Karlsson]

Lots of people think they will struggle with distance. So 7WT with a head long enough for the shorter work but no longer. That’s the way people think nowadays.

You'd think that, but they all show up with heads longer, and try to carry their way out of it instead of just shooting, wonder why that is... The lines yiu say are made to pass the test have a far longer head than needed.

Optimising the tackle instead of developing their casting. You know my first exams had no distances. Distances only appeared in those tests after the FFF became more global (sorry about that).

Cheers, Paul

Yeah, that part I can agree with, but its not optimizing, its thunking the tackle matters more than it does.

No wonder you didn't have distances, you can't even measure a leader

Cheers
Lasse

[Lasse Karlsson]

Hi Bart

Didn't you use it for your test too? And yeah, that would be something closer to making it easier.
I'm still waiting for someone showing up with a outbound 5

Cheers
Lasse

[ACW]

OK I willl have to rob one of the local dealers for his scales and weigh that 30 ft ,
any one got a stab proof vest for sale !

[Paul Arden]

The Wulff TT is an interesting example. Many years back I tested for the EFFF masters and was surprised by some of the roll cast distances. In particular they had a static roll cast to 18m and the line had to be hanging from the rod tip (no positioning line behind you). So I trained to do 18.5m with a MED.

I got into some long conversations about this and it turns out that the TT is a favourite line in this association. It roll casts rather well - light tip, heavy near the end of the head. I ultimately passed with the MED but there were certainly elements of the test where the TT would really help.

Every association has its little quirks. Here is another: Ally Gowans wrote much of the AAPGAI Spey requirements on those tests. Now Ally is pretty damn good caster and set a very high bar for the Speys with Trout/Sea Trout Masters. The whole test really became about bringing a line that could hit these distances (I can’t remenber what they are but they are right on the boundaries, especially when your feet are wet). Consequently there was a development of lines - the i-line was made for this test. The TT Nymph taper became a standard. And other lines have followed.

It got to the stage where guys were bringing great Spey lines that were crap for overhead so they ultimately allowed two lines - one for each portion of the test.

As an instructor I don’t think it’s about casting distances. It’s about how and what you teach. When I first took the exams in ‘96 there were no distances. Distances appeared to standardise the test - or to try to make one test look harder than another.

If there are going to be distances then I think it’s important to standardise the line. Not say any WF or DT between 4 and 7. Particularly nowadays where the number on the box is meaningless!

Each and every association could be selling a line; “This is our testing/teaching line.” AAPGAI think their test is actually about choosing/optimising the line - this happened by accident of course. FFI try to keep exam costs down - this is why examiners are unpaid. So it’s unlikely either will do it! But it’s a good idea none-the-less

Cheers, Paul

[bartdezwaan]

Hi Bart

Didn't you use it for your test too? And yeah, that would be something closer to making it easier.
I'm still waiting for someone showing up with a outbound 5

Cheers
Lasse

Hi Lasse,

No. I used a vision extreme distance.
They don’t make these anymore.

Cheers, Bart

[Neil Owens]

I’ll have some bog standard DT6 lines made up - they willl be cheap.
...

Make them reasonable so I can also go fishing with them and last a while.

Now off to the field not James and Alex have given me some tips...

[Lasse Karlsson]

Hi Bart

Didn't you use it for your test too? And yeah, that would be something closer to making it easier.
I'm still waiting for someone showing up with a outbound 5

Cheers
Lasse

Hi Lasse,

No. I used a vision extreme distance.
They don’t make these anymore.

Cheers, Bart

Sorry, that's right, it was the MCI candidate that used the TT and did a dynamic roll to 18 meters (still have the clip somwwhere on a harddrive..)
Damn fine performance you did, best caster in that field!

Cheers
Lasse

[Lasse Karlsson]

Paul, the I-line is exactly the same as the Dart, and that one wasn't developed for a test, or by someone certified... Think someone pulled a fast one there

Cheers
Lasse

[Paul Arden]

Ah maybe it wasn’t that one then. Will have to ask Lee.

Cheers, Paul