Flycasting Instructor Exams

[Paul Arden]

Yup, but you'll have to wait untill party and fishing is done

What are your answers?

Cheers
Lasse

Well I'm slightly different here because the answer to the first question is because I wanted to teach fly fishing as a profession!

[Lasse Karlsson]

Well, did it?

More after dinner....

Cheers
Lasse

[Paul Arden]

That's a difficult one to answer. In some ways the profession has exceeded expectations by a very long way. I didn't think I'd be giving public casting demonstrations, or teaching instructors and I didn't expect to be known outside my local region. None of those things were ever the point. However the amount of work appears in decline, although I have some interesting ways of turning this around potentially...

What hasn't lived up to my expectations is the associations themselves.

Cheers, Paul

[guest]

However the amount of work appears in decline, although I have some interesting ways of turning this around potentially...l

Paul

What is the age spread of people that are coming to you for lessons? Are we losing the youth, I only see old gits apart from 43 year olds like yourself

regards

Vince

[Paul Arden]

It's always been old gits who flyfish in the UK. Elsewhere it's different.

[Lasse Karlsson]

Hi guys and girls,

Here's a question, there are many instructors here and many people who have taken instructor examinations - 1) why?

I had already been teaching flycasting for over 10 years, liked it, and wanted to charge more and make sure I wasn't teaching complete bollocks even though it worked...
Wanted originally to take the APGAI, couldn't unless I spend alot of money...
Took the FFFE, wasn't impressed with the teaching, was told by you that the FFF was the bees knees, went over to fish and take the test(s), did and was impressed with the mentality, and the teaching.
Found out through you that the APGAI had split, and that the best people had gone into AAPGAI, and that I could take that. Went there and did, was impressed by mentality and teaching.
FFFE went belly up, and FFF went into Europe, first certifications was held in Denmark and I was asked to help examine, as I was the only FFF MCI in Scandinavia at the time, and did gladly:



It was fun and I learned alot about where the levels where as I had no clue beforehand. Passing an exam doen't give you insight as to where the lows and highs are. Examining does somewhat, teaching examiners should.

Dan Mcgrimmon asked if I wanted to sit on the CBOG of the FFF, I applied, and got in as the first outside of North America (counting Canada in that here) got to see large parts of the world and meet alot of great minded people.

I've learned a great deal in the process, most about casting and teaching through the preperations, alot about politics through the sourounding activities.

And 2) has it lived up to its expectations?

Cheers,
Paul

If my expectations was that I would get more clients through having a certification, I would have been deeply disappointed, the large majority doesn't even know that there is certifications as flycasting instructors. And since it's not a protected teaching certificate, I would have made more money spending what I have done on certifications on marketing myself
Luckily, my expectations wasn't to live from teaching flycasting, I am slightly smarter than that (barely) but to learn. I think that if something is worth doing then it's worth doing it good! And the mental preperations for each and every test I've taken have sharpened my knowledge. And I have been fortunate enough to meet some good people through them, that I have picked up lots of great stuff from, I only hope I have been able to pass something on in the process too!

Cheers
Lasse

Ps. Sadly my expectations in associations mirrors yours....

[andrewparkeruk]

Pretty much what Jonathan said.

I wanted to make me a better flyfisher: casting was something I could practice away from the river. Following a syllabus gave me targets. There are many better fishing guides in my local area, so that was never a target for me. Casting competence was something I did feel was achievable. The way to test my grasp of what I have learned is to try to transfer my knowledge to others.

I never set out to make money from casting instruction. I gave up my day job in Jun-2103 and am living off savings and the good nature of my spouse. A 2014 New Year resolution should be to see if I can, at least, cover my fishing costs this year

Andrew

[Viking Lars]

Aaaah, my old TCR - a great rod it was

Lars

[Paul Arden]

the large majority doesn't even know that there is certifications as flycasting instructors.

Surely now virtually everyone who fly fishes knows that there are instructor organisations. They might not know the differences between them, but they know of their existence. People coming into the sport will have less knowledge in this area of course.

Cheers, Paul

[Doug Swift]

I really don't think that learning how to cast and present the fly well is the first thing that new or even some experienced fly fishers have in mind. Most of the people I encounter just want to catch fish, and trying to convince them that being a better caster would help them do that is not something they are willing to accept. So how do we, as instructors get our point across?
Not so much to try and score another paying gig, but just to get the satisfaction of having them get a little more out of what they are trying to accomplish.