The EFFA Master Flycasting Instructor Test

The EFFA Master Flycasting Instructor is qualified as an excellent instructor who has reached the highest level in flycasting and instructing.

He is able to cast all the demands of the Master Test and can give information about all the different questions concerning flyfishing.

A Master candidates needs the recommendation of an EFFA Master Flycasting Instructor to be allowed to attend an EFFA Master exam. The EFFA Master guarantees that the candidate is well prepared and has taught at least 70-100 clients after having passed the EFFA Basic Flycasting Instructor exam.

All candidates have to be properly dressed when attending the exam

Properly dressed means:
- all clothes should be clean and should have no holes in them.
- Long trousers, except at very high temperatures.
- proper shirt or fishing jacket.
- eye protection device (sunglasses or equivalent)
- proper foot-wear (trekking boots or wellingtons if neccessary for an outdoor exam) “

Master Flycasting Instructor Test - Practical part

rod:	Single hand fly rod which can be bought in a tackle shop max. 7 weight, length: 7 to 9 feet No change of the rod during exam is allowed ! (Exception: in case of damaging)
line:	floating line not to exceed line weight # 6, length min. 25 m, no shootings heads are allowed ! No change of fly lines during exam is allowed! (Exception: in case of damaging)
leader:	7 to 9 feet
fly:	high visible fly yarn(min. length 1 cm)
costs:	100,- Euro

Each participant has to care for a suitable equipment.

Please notice:

The target diameter(ring) for presentation casts is 1(one) meter.

Backhand cast:
The rod hand must cross the middle of the body axis line during casting. It is not allowed to twist the reel 180° during the cast!

If nothing else is demanded always two false casts have to be made prior to presenting the fly.

A false cast always consists of a back cast and a forward cast.

The fly must always land in front of the leader and the leader must land in front of the fly line(exeption: trick casts).
Wether line nor leader nor fly may touch the ground or water during false casting.

If tailing loops can be recognized during an attempt(exeption: demonstration of a casting mistake) the attempt will not be valid even if the target distance is reached.

Proceedure: Hold 24 m of fly line incl. leader in the air:

The rod tip is placed at the base line. 22,5 m of line(incl. leader) are pulled out of the rod tip. Then the candidate makes a knot into the fly line next to his reel. After that he can choose the direction in which he wants to cast. He starts making false casts continiously releasing line until he reaches the knot. Having reached the correct length he should then show several false casts with nice loops (no tailing loops, no touching of the ground). The examiners will check the overall performance.

Casting test:

( all limits have to be mastered, 3 attempts are allowed)
Women: 20% minus in length on casts exceeding 18 m

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)
teach Switch Cast
teach Single Spey Cast
Demonstrate a variety of casting techniques to provide a drag-free drift of your dry fly over a long distance (in different currents)

In all phases of this test it must be demonstrated to the examiners that the highest level of proficiency in flycasting, line handling and teaching skills are evident.

Part 2: Theoretical Part - FFF-Europe Master Flycasting Instructor Test

All decisive questions have to be explained !

1. Mechanics of fly casting

What are the reasons for learning the double haul ?
Explain the most important factor for casting accuracy!
How do you combine casts for getting a longer drag-free float ?
When do you use the reach-cast and when the bow-cast ?
What is the result of a high rod stop on the back cast ?
What is the result of a straight line movement of your rod tip during the power stroke ?
What is the most important factor in distance casting ?
What is the best term to describe the most important part of casting ?
Describe the line angle when casting 20 feet or less !
Why do you make a positive stop at the end of the back and end of the forward cast ?
What is the main function of the double haul ?
When should you make maneuvers of the rod tip to make various slack line casts ?
How do you cast directly into a wind ?
Why should there always be tension on the line between your hand and the 1e guide ?
What is the most important factor in distance casting ?
Why do you mend the line ?
SWhat can you tell me about the direction of front and back cast when casting a well-shaped loop ?
When does the loop start to form ?
How does the twisting of the wrist on the back cast influence the casting ?
How does the way of holding the handle change when casting long distances ?
How do you perform slack line casts best ?
Can you do spey casting only with spey rods ?
Are the basic fundamentals of the casting stroke in the casting of two-handed rods similar to single hand rods ?
How do you pick line off the water correctly ?
What is the result of a good, positive stop ?
What happens if you unload the rod before the line of the back cast is straightened ?
Should you drift the rod forward to keep the line tight when the backcast is unrolling ?
What is fly casting all about ?
How does the rod hand motion change from a short to a long cast ?
When should you release the line when trying to shoot line forward ?
Does a rod's action contribute to the tailing loop problem ?
What can you tell me about the line speed in distance casting ?
How do you cast sink tip lines ?
How do you cast heavy nymphs or streamers ?
Are wind knots caused by high or low line speed or independent from it ?
Does going up one line size make distance casting easier ?
Is a smooth casting stroke most efficient ?
Should the rod travel in a wide arc when casting long distance ?
Describe how to make a correct double haul(except tournament casting) !
Describe a slack line cast !

2. Fischereitechnik

Describe all of the different methods of fishing sub-surface flies: types of weight, lines, indicators, etc.
When and how do you make a line mending?
Dry fly movement - especially skittering - how do you efficiently combine the two wrists to strip and bounce the rod.
What logical steps would you go through to find out what the fish are feeding on, how to match it and how to fish it ?
What is the difference between free-stone streams and spring creek-type water and how do you attack each ?
Describe how you hook, land and release fish !
How do you fish a sedge imitation (dry fly) ?
How do you fish a stonefly imitation (dry fly) ?
How do you fish a mayfly imitation (dry fly) ?
What do bulges on the surface mean to you, and what sort of imitations do you need in this case?
What does the tailing of trout tell you ?
What does dead-drift fishing mean ?
In which part of rivers and streams can you find nymphs of the clinger type of mayflies?
In which waters can you find mayflies of the digger type ?
Which terrestrials are of importance for a fly fisher. Describe how to fish them!
Why do you bend to big jumping fish ?
How do you sharpen a hook ? Describe one method.
What do you do when you only get short strikes on dries and wets?
How would you rig a multi-fly system, wets and dries
Describe use of etiquette when wading a stream, in drift boat and float tubing on a lake !
How does an upsteam mending influence the float of a fly?
Which situation requires a downstream mending ?
How can you save the day when you have forgotten or lost the floatant or mud?
How do you fish a nymph or a dryfly in a lake ?
When and were are pikes easiest to catch?
What is an attractor pattern?
Which areas and lies do fish prefer in a lake ?
Which areas and lies do fish prefer in moving water ?
What is an evening rise and what is it dependent on ?
What time in the year can you expect mayflies to be present at a stream ?
How do you hold a fish when you remove the hook to be sure he will keep still ?
How do you cast and fish a fly in a lake or reservoir ?
When do you use the single spey and when do you use the double spey cast ?
What can you say about how to strike a salmon ?
How does the water temperature influence the choice of the fly when fishing for atlantic salmon ?

3. Materialkunde:

Which type of fly line would you choose for instructing the double haul ?
What does the modulus of graphite in a rod pertain to ?
How do you cast a sink-tip line ?
Which type of fly line is the best choice for teaching a beginner to cast a two handed rod?
What is not a good shooting line to be used with a shooting taper ?
What are nearly all fly line cores made of ?
What can damage a fly line if it gets in contact with it ?
Why is backing made of dacron instead of nylon ?
Which rod type is most proven to throw tailing loops?
Which fly line of the same weight has got the smallest diameter ?
Which of the following lines will sink fastest? WF8S II / WF6S II / WF10S II ?
Which is the most commonly accepted leader formula (Butt:Taper:Tippet) ?
Of which three parts does a dry fly leader consist of?
Which is the major advantage of a Spey rod?
Explain why it can be advantageous to use one size lighter line than a rod is rated for when casting very long distances ?
Explain why it can be advantageous to use one size heavier line than a rod is rated for when casting very short distances ?
What wheight of shooting taper do you choose for a 6 weight rod ?
What does a progressive rod action mean ?
Which material is best as running line for shooting tapers ?
Are the first 12 m of a WF line and a sink-tip line of the same weight ?
For which sort of fishing is a DT a good choice ?
For which sort of fishing is a #8 9' fly rod a good choice?
What tackle would you suggest for fishing a reservoir any why ?

4. Allgemeines:

What have you learned from teaching and can pass on to other instructors to help their teaching ?
Discuss how you, as the only instructor, would organize a class of beginning fly casting students and help them progress to the point where they are false casting and shooting line. Consider all aspects of the class including such things as the physical arrangement of the class, your teaching progression, and your teaching methods.
Name some safety rules for fly fishers !