PLEASE NOTE: In order to post on the Board you need to have registered. To register please email paul@sexyloops.com including your real name and username. Registration takes less than 24hrs, unless Paul is fishing deep in the jungle!

Flycasting Instructor Exams

Moderators: Paul Arden, Bernd Ziesche, Lasse Karlsson

User avatar
Paul Arden
Site Admin
Posts: 19528
Joined: Thu Jan 03, 2013 11:20 am
Answers: 2
Location: Belum Rainforest
Contact:

Flycasting Instructor Exams

#1

Post by Paul Arden »

Hi guys and girls,

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

And 2) has it lived up to its expectations?

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

Flycasting Definitions
Doug Swift
Posts: 6
Joined: Sun Dec 15, 2013 8:16 pm
Answers: 0
Location: Wasaga Beach On CA
Contact:

Flycasting Instructor Exams

#2

Post by Doug Swift »

For me it started off as a learning quest. I thought that if I could figure out how to cast well enough to pass the instructor exam, then I could probably cast well enough to be a successful fly fisher. Then the "casting bug" took over and it turned into an addiction whereby the desire to just get out and cast, almost outweighed the the actual fly fishing bits.

Now it has all evolved into wanting to try and hammer into others, by teaching, that all this is more fun when you can actually effectively put the fly out there where it belongs, and catch a fish.

It has lived up to my expectations. I think advertising an "instructor designation" gives potential students a reasonable expectation of you being a professional that should give them their moneys worth.
I teach as much as comes my way. Firstly, I get a lot of satisfaction out of watching the "light come on" when a student gets it. Secondly, I make a few bucks to feed my fly fishing gear addiction. It's a satisfying hobby, If I were in it to make a living (I'm retired) I'd have to work my ass off and I've already done that, so in a nutshell, it's a good way to help a few folks with their casting, keep in the loop (no pun intended), and be able to replace my worn out high end leaky waders with new ones when I need them.
Peddler
Posts: 5
Joined: Fri Dec 27, 2013 1:58 am
Answers: 0

Flycasting Instructor Exams

#3

Post by Peddler »

The why of it... I enjoy teaching and sharing what I know and the CCI certification seemed a way to show I have a certain level of credibility.
The certification does indeed, as I hoped, lend some credibility to my overall skills of teaching and casting.
The continuing education and being in the mix of other casting geeks is just gravy on the cake so yes, it meets and in many ways exceeds my expectations.
RexW
Posts: 33
Joined: Wed Jan 16, 2013 12:30 am
Answers: 0

Flycasting Instructor Exams

#4

Post by RexW »

Why? It wasn't planned. My teenaged daughter decided she wanted to get certified. She had the casting talent, so we started attending events and helping other instructors to determine if she was actually able to teach other people to cast and if she liked doing it enough to go through the certification process. While doing doing this, I discovered that I very much enjoy helping people learn to cast. We ended up taking the exam on the same day.

Yes, I think it has met my expectations. Certification has provided access to a network of other instructors which has helped me become a better instructor and to improve my own casting. It also provides the credentials to perspective students that I know how to teach fly casting. Most of my teaching is done within local clubs and I have fun doing it.
Snake Pliskin
Posts: 203
Joined: Wed Jan 09, 2013 11:05 pm
Answers: 0
Location: London

Flycasting Instructor Exams

#5

Post by Snake Pliskin »

1. Am I the only person in the world who considered the financial side of things? Getting paid for teaching something you truly love, and want other people to love is a win win situation as far as I was concerned! I enjoy teaching what I enjoy doing, and love sharing in that sense, but I was always going to charge people for lessons. Doing it to see if I was good enough or whatever wasn't a big enough reason to take it for me.
2. Sort of.
User avatar
Paul Arden
Site Admin
Posts: 19528
Joined: Thu Jan 03, 2013 11:20 am
Answers: 2
Location: Belum Rainforest
Contact:

Flycasting Instructor Exams

#6

Post by Paul Arden »

Interesting - thanks guys. Very interesting in fact. Are there more?

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

Flycasting Definitions
User avatar
Lasse Karlsson
Posts: 5757
Joined: Wed Jan 09, 2013 9:40 pm
Answers: 0
Location: There, and back again
Contact:

Flycasting Instructor Exams

#7

Post by Lasse Karlsson »

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

What are your answers?

Cheers
Lasse
Your friendly neighbourhood flyslinger

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

Got a Q++ at casting school, wearing shorts ;)
Jonathan
Posts: 64
Joined: Thu Jan 24, 2013 2:19 am
Answers: 0

Flycasting Instructor Exams

#8

Post by Jonathan »

1 A personal learning and improvement quest.

2 Absolutely, and far beyond my initial expectations in that:
a) I found that I actually enjoyed the teaching and realised this further improved my own casting;
b) It added more credibility than I had expected; and
c) I personally felt that I only really started "learning" after I passed my CCI.

Jon
User avatar
Marc Fauvet
Posts: 826
Joined: Wed Jan 09, 2013 11:00 pm
Answers: 0
Location: Pyrénées, France
Contact:

Flycasting Instructor Exams

#9

Post by Marc Fauvet »

pretty much all of the above but more importantly it's brought me a whole host of friends from all around the world :)
Viking Lars
Posts: 700
Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2013 10:45 am
Answers: 0

Flycasting Instructor Exams

#10

Post by Viking Lars »

My first examination was in the now dead FFF Europe, where I certified as as Basic Casting Instructor. I had been teacing flycasting here and there, and liked it very much. I also liked the casting and the training. I decided to have a go at the certification after meeting Paul. Paul was keen on why a certification was good and what it could do for me, so I went ahead.

I hadn't really considered it until then, but Paul gave the confidence that my casting was good enough, as were my teaching skills. As it turned out at the examination, there wasn't much focus on teaching skills, but none the less, I passed.

After that I taught more and more and FFF Europe died, and IFFF embraced all the FFF E instructors and once again, encouraged by Paul, I started wotking towards getting the MCI certification. That happened in 2007, where I was examined by Dan McCrimmon and Tim Rajeff. I must say, I was a more nervous than usual about being examined by Tim Rajeff, but of course, they were both cool, relaxed and did a perfect job of making me feel at ease. And I don't mind telling you that Tim Rajeff told me afterwards that I was the best prepared candidate he had ever tested, and that he thought I should get into competition precision casting :pirate:

After that, I taught even more, and there more I teach, the better I get at it. I was also invited to join the team of IFFF assessors, whch has been a wonderful experince that has brought me as far away as Japan and Ukraine. And the best part of that is all the great people you meet!

I hope that I have been able to make others feel at ease when I've tested them, and I hope that all has felt they were treated fairly.

Every bit has lived up to my expectations and I loved every second of it (except telling people that haven't passed).

I think 2014 will see me work towards the AAPGAI - as a way of broadening my knowledge, my teaching skills and getting to know even more amazing instructors.

Lars
Post Reply

Return to “Teaching”