Nothing focuses the mind like competition. Not simply in the event, but also in all the preparation that leads up to it. Most anglers I know are unaware that fly casting has a long history of competitive events, beginning in 1868, and that they too could be participating in a tradition that hones casting skills and inspires excellence.
I spent last weekend participating in the Long Beach Casting Club’s Southwestern Casting Tournament. The tournament includes a variety of events in distance and accuracy using single hand, Spey and plug (spinning) equipment. I chose to compete in five single hand accuracy events.
My favorite event is Trout Fly. The game consists of an elegant combination of three rounds through five targets ranging from twenty to fifty feet while standing within a four-foot square “box”. The first round is dubbed Dry Fly and allows unlimited false casting as you work through the targets, near to far. The second round, Wet Fly, involves delivering the fly to the target with just a pickup and one false cast. The third round, Roll Cast, challenges the competitor to roll cast to each of the five targets in succession. You have fifteen strokes in which to accomplish that feat.
Other accuracy events include Trout Accuracy (an international version), Dry Fly and Bass Bug. My big excitement was to find myself in competition with two long time champion casters for a third-place medal in the Bass Bug game. While I ended up fourth, the result was a very gratifying outcome of long-term effort. I will be back.
As we continue to develop casting programs for TU and the Truchas Chapter membership, I intend to incorporate the accuracy games as a way to hone new skills in a manner that provides both an incentive to practice and measurable results. And who knows, maybe there will be other Truchas members at future tournaments, stepping into the “box” and experiencing the thrill of competition.
