Learning syllabus - certifications

[alanj]

Not sure if this belongs here or in an instructing forum, but I like it here as more likely to understand things.

So I was watching one of Pauls videos - The Essential level challenge. and at the start he says that he sees a lot of people doing the CI exams purely to improve their own casting rather than any desire to instruct. Then outlines those essentials.

I guess that should form the basis of a teaching syllabus. Good. But where is this actually written down and more importantly where are the milestones so a student can gauge their progress?

A lot of other sports use a series of rewards to measure progress. From learning to Swim - remember those braids for a width, a length etc? through to flying where you have to get each and every milestone signed off. Having goals gives both motivation and a measurement. Plus, of course, it requires those milestones to be well documented so the student understands what they need to do and should they have a new instructor then they will have a good idea of where the student is.

So is there anything similar in fly fishing - by which i mean casting. I've googled but can't find anything.
Closest I've found are the BDFCC distance badges.

[Lasse Karlsson]

The FFI has their bronze silver and gold certificates.

Paul started a SL one, but not sure he ever finished it..

Otherwise, I don't think there is anything.

Cheers
Lasse

[alanj]

Thank you! Exactly what I was looking for.

Never looked too deeply at the FFI before as thought they were US based and their website is a bit off putting to begin with - good once you are in though.

For anyone else - https://www.flyfishersinternational.org ... gWjg%3d%3d

[Paul Arden]

https://www.sexyloops.com/flycast/chall ... _LEVEL.pdf

I have a few students who train around this. I wrote it because I was getting asked for it by an Australian friend for his students. I do plan to do some other levels too. Eventually

Cheers, Paul

[whinging pom]

great question Alan .
Are you going to try to get up to one of those standards over this coming winter? Do you have anyone nearby you can cast with occasionally to compare notes with? Are you going to film yourself?
Maybe there's another member from the Bfcc is close by to you to share the odd practice session with ?
I think the idea of having a structure, with skills and standards to achieve is a really good incentive.

(Finding the spare time in the short hours of an English winter daylength between showers and howling wind, can make it a challenge to keep regular, thats a challenge in its self but worth the effort)

Good luck with the progress and try and keep the thread going with how your progressing and specifically where your finding problems or struggling. thats when this place is such a brilliant resource.

if you like, id be happy to try and do the same set of standards, that you choose as well , and maybe Boisker and some others can join in and we can see how we progress and manage to work past the hurdles that pop up.

A sort of duffers support group for the coming winter.
All the best WP

[Paul Arden]

One way to go about things would be to work your way through the manual…

https://www.sexyloops.com/flycast/introduction/

My Intermediate course structure is this:

Accuracy, OSD, Hauling
Roll cast, 3 stops
Backcast deliveries
Jump Roll
Spey Casts
170
Presentation casts
Presentation Mends
Rod planes/loop planes
Wind, all options.
Line management, quick shots
Specialty casts/steeple cast/change direction/ snaps/ tailing loops

Lots of ways to structure things. But structure you must!

Cheers, Paul

[Boisker]

I’d be interested to see what set of casts you settle on… although looking outside today it has a feel of mid-January, wet, grey and windy…
Next week looks better, albeit with 30mph plus winds, great for practicing fishing delivery casts in the wind, but hardly conducive to general improvements and rubbish for slack presentation casts

[alanj]

Chris,
Yes that was the vague plan. I can get to our lakes and don't have to get up too early in winter, so actually prefer it. Only trouble is my car is still broken - sigh. I do live opposite a playing field, but that is off limits for casting ( too dangerous for others apparently - that's before they've even seen me! ) ). So practice is somewhat restricted.

Yes I'll try and film myself. I think that is going to be the only way to improve until next years BDFCC meets.

I'm finding that trying to learn by myself is not at all ideal. I need someone, knowledgeable, to watch and identify problems. Left to myself I find that a results based method just doesn't really work. It is too easy to be able to create the loops and actions using completely the wrong technique. e.g. I can watch my loops and can vary them ok, but I can do this just using my wrist. Not even knowing what those techniques are is another matter.
Yes this works ok for my fishing ( small lake close range ) but fails me when things get tougher ( Wind! ) So I'd rather learn the right technique from the start.

I'm going to work, slowly, through Paul's Masterclass, again. After Marks instruction I hope this will make more sense this time round.

We'll see how it goes and yes I'll put some results here.

[alanj]

Well I think a subset of Paul's list.

Accuracy, OSD, Hauling - yes
Roll cast, 3 stops - yes
Backcast deliveries - yes, I guess
Jump Roll - possibly once i understand what its for
Spey Casts - Would love to as they look so stylish, but will leave for much later.
170 - don't think so, nice for the bdfcc but not on the lakes where there isn't the room behind.
Presentation casts - aren't all casts presentation?
Presentation Mends - unlikely as not needed on lakes.
Rod planes/loop planes - yes
Wind, all options. - yes
Line management, quick shots - mmmmm
Specialty casts/steeple cast/change direction/ snaps/ tailing loops - mmm again.

Even after 2 years I am still a beginner.

[Graeme H]

Jump Roll - possibly once i understand what its for
...

170 - don't think so, nice for the bdfcc but not on the lakes where there isn't the room behind.

Those jump roll casts are to hit the distances you can't reach because there is no room for a big back cast. With practice, an 80' jump roll (dynamic roll) cast can be done and it only needs room of about 30' behind you. Well worth learning (and then you get to play with Spey casts because the jump roll is the foundation of the Speys ... )

Cheers,
Graeme