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Monday: Paul Arden
Tuesday: Harps
Wednesday: Bernd Ziesche
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Ronan's report

Some weeks ago I was taught, that Spey casting can't be done on stillwater, because of the wrong tension (the stillwater provides to the fly line).

Usually I wouldn't care about such wrong information and just ignore it. Unfortunately this time it was given by someone who is responsable to educate those who are going to assess instructor certification candidates (who then will teach people how to fly cast). So if you like, it was put forth by a senior assessor.

Now, that I have been thinking about it for quite a while, I still have no clue how people come up with such wrong conclusions!? What I do understand is, that a lot of students and teachers would listen and believe in something being taught by a senior assessor for fly casting instructor assessments. So I would like to offer a slightly different view about where Spey casting can be done (outside the river Spey in Scotland that is):

In a river we can Spey cast upstream, downstream, cross current and simply in all directions we want to. Yes, the current also may be faster or slower a) depending on the river in general and b) depending on the stretch of river we are in. In some stretches the current speed may be close to zero. Still we will be able to Spey cast. Of course we also can Spey cast in a stillwater. Then we can do it on freshwater, brackish water or even saltwater. Sometimes we have a calm water surface and sometimes we have rapids or even some serious waves. Furthermore the water temperature and especially the wind may vary significant. I guarantee you, we can Spey cast in all the different situations. And that does not only hold true for water! It also holds true for snow, grass and many other different mediums.

Personally I learnt my biggest deal in Spey casting by watching Lee Cummings Spey casting with a lumix (fluorescence) fly line on grass in front of a fine camfire (in the middle of a dark night). Just watching him and how he controlled the anchor points and where exactly to position them, increased my Spey casting into another (higher) universe.

Now I already know, that some of you still will believe Spey casting to be completely different when comparing a river situation with a stillwater situation. But I have to disagree. The biggest differences I found between all situations I have been Spey casting in (which have been a hell lot of different situations on all kind of mediums), was between changing from upstream to downstream in fast rivers! Of course it can be done in all directions here, too. Again as it can be done in all other situations either. What it needs is: the right ADJUSTMENTS of our (Spey) casting. That's all. Ok, to be fair it needs one more (maybe even more important) thing: Being open minded and believing it to be possible to learn Spey casting in all the different situations, whereever you may need it.

I wish all those of you entering a fly casting lesson to get (what I call to be) a Believer. Those to me were always the best teachers after all. Some of them you may find here on the Sexyloops board. I think it's fair to say: Sexyloopers do believe!

All my best and great fishing to all of you

Bernd

p.s.: My update about the AAPGAI still has to wait a bit, but will follow soon.

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