Now this is a stiff test!

[Malcolm]

Now that it's winter again I've been swithering - again - over whether it's worth gaining a casting accreditation. While having a look around the schedules of the organisations this one stood out as the ultimate. Some of it looks exceedingly tricky.  By the way this is a second level course, just in case you are tempted to pop over to Holland for accreditation!

http://www.effa.info/master-instructor.html


30 m cast with double hauling
22 m cast without line hand
25 m cast - backhanded
Deliver a backcast 25 m
18 m roll cast - forehanded
15 m roll cast - backhanded
switch cast 22 m - forehanded
switch cast 18 m - backhanded
Carry 24 m of line (leader included, measured from the base line to the fly) in the air with a proper loop, with double hauling
Pick up 18 m of line (leader included) off water, smoothly with a minimum of water disturbance and drop back straight on water.
Cast all planes and angles with 18 m of line (leader included) - horizontally and vertically
Presentation casts (12 m). Accurately throw straight, angled (45?) and curved line on command, long (15 m) and short (10 m) line.
False cast and place the fly on target at 6 m, 12 m und 18 m with great accuracy.
Pick line up (14 m, leader included), no false cast. Change direction of cast 45 degrees and cast forward 18 m.
False cast at least 18 m (leader included). Still false casting strip line in and place fly 6 m away.
Hold fly in hand (12 m of line stripped out), drop fly and make one false cast and shoot line forward 18 m.
Starting with 10 m of fly line plus leader, using double haul, cast 25 m (straight) by making no more than 2 back and 2 forward casts.
Demonstrate well controlled curve casts at 9 m, 12 m und 15 m.
12 m cast with bow next to leader.
12 m cast with bow in the middle of line.
12 m cast with bow in end of line nearest the rod tip
cast 15 m of line (leader included) with your bad hand (tight loop, double haul)

[scotty9]

If you have a search on sexyloops you'll find the rather bitter arguments over this....

One thing came out of it, making it harder and harder doesn't take account of teaching performance. The FFF seem to analyse that the best. The effa test is quite frankly ******* difficult! That would take me years of practice to get to the level required to attempt to pass that, I would never actually put myself through it to be honest! I remember reading about how brutal the testing procedure is, there's just no lee way with anything. A 30m presented cast is a monster too!

[Wildfisher]

What is the point of this? It's not fishing anyway. Nor is it teaching if what Scott says is correct. For me spending time on stuff like this has everything to do with what fishing isn't. To each his own though. 

[Fishtales]

You could always go for an SQA certificate in Game Angling Fred.

http://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/36040.html

Or an SVQ in Coaching, Teaching and Instructing (Angling) Level 2

http://www.sqa.org.uk/files/svq/G7GV_22.pdf

Both of which will be recognised by the Sporting Council of Scotland which means you are open to teach whatever you have learned.

[Wildfisher]

Aye Sandy, alternatively I could just go out and enjoy a bit of fishing.  :lol:

[haresear]

It seems that there is a certain amount of one-upmanship here. "Our test is harder than your test". It strikes me that this difference in syllabus/exam is used to justify the existence of each rival organisation. I heard that AAPGAI for example were insistent that anyone holding their qualification could not be a member of another similar organisation. Whether they backtracked on this unreasonable stance or not, I don't know.

I met a Hungarian FFF Master at the Glasgow Casting Club recently and he was talikng about this EFFA exam.
He was not complimetary about the EFFA assessors' attitude during his assessment at all. Reckoned they did not put him at ease and it was not at all an enjoyable experience.

I can understand the relevance of formal qualifications at in a teaching context. They are irrelevant when it comes to just going fishing.

Alex

[Fishtales]

Think of the grants you could apply for though to allow you to fish and teach all over Scotland for nothing. And if you are fishing somewhere and told you can't you just tell them you are qualified and have the certificates to prove it  :roll:

[Wildfisher]

I think Alex hit the nail on the head. But there is nothing at all wrong with fishing related qualifications as long as they don't end up becoming compulsory before you are allowed to go fishing. I'm not entirely  convinced  that some would not like to see things go down that road.

[Fishtales]

They already do it in Germany  :shock:

http://berlin.angloinfo.com/information/32/fishing.asp

[Wildfisher]

They already do it in Germany  :shock:

Exactly and a year  or so ago, on another forum, I saw support for a similar approach here from an instructor on the strength of some bad fish handling he once witnessed.

As far as routes into angling go I'm very much of the Wullie, Fat Boab, Soapy and Wee Eck up the Stoorie Burn with a can of worms school.