The big variation is obviously wind, Vince. Somewhere like the BFCC the wind is from behind usually but I’ve cast competitions in strong crosswinds in both directions, as well as headwinds. Weather plays a part too, particularly rain and humidity. Hot/cold makes a difference and changing altitude can totally throw me. The wind is the biggest one though usually, and you have to try to find a way to use it.
But then every cast is different. We are not trying to repeat a previous cast, or repeat some ideal cast that we have done before, instead we are playing with the combination of variables to throw the longest cast in these conditions.
People might assume that a distance caster in training is trying to repeat a cast, when in fact he is developing a new cast, every cast. In some ways every cast is a new experiment.
All training is actually a form of competition. If you set a game to curve around a tree to place the fly close to an eggcup, the competition is how close can you get? Can you put the fly in the egg cup? And if so then how many times in a row? And if there are two or three people casting then it’s even more fun. Carlos has many of these games for presentation casts and all the Spanish students and instructors play them.
I’ve always enjoyed these, often spontaneous, competitions with other casters. My personal favourite has always been the Sexyloops Shootouts (although casting through upper story windows in Idaho Falls with Rick, Bill, Bruce, Lasse and others, would be up there too
) . In Shootouts we cast WC comp gear, fishing tackle, mismatched outfits, cane rods, chopsticks. That’s what I like. Pre WCs that’s what we used to train for because you never knew what gear you were going to be handed in a shop or angling fair competition
And you had two minutes to make it work to the best of your ability.
What standardising the 5WT gear did back in early 2000s was to allow us to compare ourselves against other casters around the world without actually being there. We knew what distances Rick and Steve were throwing. And we could sort of compare ourselves to them, from the other side of the pond. It wasn’t just Europe either and they were doing it in Malaysia before I arrived. Indonesia and Australia too. Other places too no doubt. It’s no different from the egg cup around the tree cast, it’s just that you can compare yourself to the best.
If you are going to do consistently well in competition then you need to be versatile. But I would think that applies to all sports. I’m pretty sure Lasse and I were very competitive in the Danish games when we were in Montana at an FFF conclave. But maybe that’s because there was beer involved and I can’t remember!
What I like about the WCs with fly tackle is that many of the competitors are instructors and guides. Not all for sure but almost all are very serious anglers. The conversations are usually about fishing, not casting.
I’d love to see a whack-a-mole type flycasting competition. I’m sure that competition raises our game. Of course if the competition doesn’t fit our requirements (eg shooting heads, DHD for me) then it’s less useful. I’d love to see more competitions developed. When we teach we set little games for our students. They need to be challenging, applicable and measurable.
We also have to remember that skills are transferable. What the 5WT game/distance Shootouts has given me, is the ability to make shots into any wind. For SW anglers taking shots on windy flats then this sort of distance event has all the components. Making it measurable, challenging, applicable and hopefully fun!
I’m not starting an argument
just giving you my perspective as someone who has been through 20 odd years of competitive casting as has seen his casting change for the better as a result! I really am very grateful for getting beaten by Jon Allen back in 2000 and deciding to do something about it.
I think that the Danish Games could be better incidentally. The distances in the game could be random. Maybe we should tweak it and start such a competition? Alternatively it would be very easy to turn the Sexyloops Casting Challenge into a competition!
Cheers, Paul