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Platform, or No Platform

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Lasse Karlsson
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Platform, or No Platform

#31

Post by Lasse Karlsson »

I haven't seen any rules stating they aren't legal, shorts will be fine :cool:
Your friendly neighbourhood flyslinger

Flycasting, so simple that instructors need to make it complicated since 1685

Got a Q++ at casting school, wearing shorts ;)
Michal Duzynski
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Platform, or No Platform

#32

Post by Michal Duzynski »

Ha Ha Ha good one, also there is no written( im guessing here- from what I saw) the caster has to cast from the platform...
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Mike
Dung Fly
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Platform, or No Platform

#33

Post by Dung Fly »

Michal Duzynski wrote:Ha Ha Ha good one, also there is no written( im guessing here- from what I saw) the caster has to cast from the platform...
Cheers
Mike
I can only go by my own personal experience after asking on numerous occaissions - 2015 - Hluboka and Vltavou, Czech Republic, 2014 - Szamotuly, Poland, 2013 - Halle, Germany, 2012 - Tallin, Estonia, 2011 - Hluboka nad Vltavou, Czech Republic, 2010 - Novi Vindolski, Croatia - I tend not to take just one answer.
John Waters
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Platform, or No Platform

#34

Post by John Waters »

There are a number of issues that would need to be considered by any nation hosting an event on water, not the least of which would be occupational health and safety. eg. casting from a bank vs casting from a platform. I am sure insurance would increase if we just stood on a bank.

John
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Paul Arden
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Platform, or No Platform

#35

Post by Paul Arden »

Yeah Australia is nuts with health and safety. Treating adults like children - and children like fluffy toys. It really gets up my nose and the next generation will be even less capable. “Don’t walk down that slope without a safety harness, crash helmet and a life jacket!” Jesus anyone would think that we evolved in a snowflake.

If a fly fisherman is not able to cast from a bank without falling in then he is in the wrong sport!! I’d love to get some H&S people here and take them fly fishing. I’d camp them on Tiger Island.

Cheers, Paul
It's an exploration; bring a flyrod.

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John Waters
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Platform, or No Platform

#36

Post by John Waters »

I think the issue is more than nanny-state issues Paul, how would it look to the public if we cast in the 2020 WC from a muddy, slippery bank. I have no issue doing that when fishing, after a long downpour, but not in a Fly Casting WC. Long way to come and an expensive trip from Australia to take that chance. I would not. Fishing yes, casting no. A platform like I have seen used in other Fly Casting WCs or a promontory like in Cumbria was good, it is professional, and reflects a clean, tidy and controlled image of the sport to the public and therefore is best for casting. Kids and parents watching a casting world championship event need to always be shown an image of professionalism, standing on a muddy, sloping, slippery bank ain’t that.
As too a 1.5 m platform, not allowing steps and balance and all other nasties mentioned in above posts, they are multiplied 10 fold on sloping lake bank. Platforms for casting, other for fishing makes sense to me and I expect would do so with any spectator thinking that casting is for them.

John
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Paul Arden
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Platform, or No Platform

#37

Post by Paul Arden »

I think it's wholly practical to be casting off a platform over water John and all the championships have been so. I thought when you mentioned "health and safety" that you were talking, well, "health and safety"!

Wouldn't it be nice to have some spectators! If we had to balance on floating logs I reckon we'd have a few :) 8 years ago in Norway we actually had two spectators who were walking a dog. They stayed for about 20 minutes.

Cheers, Paul
It's an exploration; bring a flyrod.

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John Waters
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Platform, or No Platform

#38

Post by John Waters »

No Paul, I was referring to casting but the issue is a factor in cost of premiums and mitigation against risk. You are correct, it is a barstool but it is an important consideration in many aspects of today’s world. As to spectators, yep had my say on the spectator appeal of casting, there ain’t none. I do hold out a faint hope that someone, somewhere may see the sport and say it is for them, but hey, I’m a dreamer and always have been.

John
Michal Duzynski
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Platform, or No Platform

#39

Post by Michal Duzynski »

My main concern was a small/club comp.
Next one I have would be in Melbourne and platform is there.
Can I ask to cast from the ground, or I would be told it is against the rules. ( what rules?)
Mike
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Paul Arden
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#40

Post by Paul Arden »

Yep, it's just one of the few things that really gets up my nose, John. Imagine doing a Health and Safety review of a NZ backcountry river, or fly fishing on a flat with sharks! I've fished Stillwaters for 38 years without wearing a lifejacket. I've swum triathlons, and have no problem swimming 5KM or more and rather enjoy it. But nowadays on UK Stillwaters, if one does not wear a lifejacket, even in flat calms with 20C water, then you cannot take a boat. As far as I'm concerned that's a personal choice. Just because there are people who can't swim, and who might fall out the boat in a flat calm conditions, doesn't mean that everyone needs to wear a bloody life jacket. I'm an intelligent adult (some may dispute both of these things :p ); I don't need treated with kid gloves. And kids... bloody hell. One reason they have their face glues to iPhones is because they're not allowed to do anything exciting. As children we'd go on bike rides, go fishing, build dens, take sweets from strangers - I wouldn't be at home, let alone playing with a computer. We're at the end of an era my friend... the end of personal freedom. Decision making - personal risk decisions - which is life skill, is being taken for us by boring sexless people in grey suits. People who's idea or "risk" is opening the front door and stepping outside.

Fly fishermen are different. We have outdoors skills, are nimble and can climb in and out of bluffs, we know how to swim and can make challenging river crossings. We can climb trees (to spot fish) and have fighter pilot reactions. In fact we are all super human. When the pool ball is hit too hard at the resort bar, it leaps off the table, runs along the floor and falls over the edge of the elevated floor. From there it bounces down a steep gully and ends up in the lake. This happens at night. It's my job to put on my headlamp, leap dramatically over the railing, swing under the floor and climb down a wet and slippery rock wall. From there I walk and slide my way down to the lake, keeping an eye out for snakes. People say, "Isn't that dangerous?" I say, "Not if you are a fly fisherman!"

I do my best to encourage and open a door for those interested in Casting Sport. What I look for is people who I think would both enjoy and benefit from the game and who are already into casting. Here in Malaysia we are getting significant interest and that will expand to Singapore and the rest of SE Asia. Of course I'm looking for casters who wish to compete at elite level - anyone can IMO, they only have to dedicate themselves. Opening the sport up to those just interested in taking part is a great thing too, and I know that the BFCC try to do this. It would be wonderful to see more Australians compete internationally; you certainly have the talent!

Cheers, Paul
It's an exploration; bring a flyrod.

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