Kalyn Hoggard | Monday, 29 September 2025
(The music for today’s article is Dance Monkey by Tones and I)
This weekend was the first big get together that FFI has done since the pandemic. My colleague Marty McVey was squared away to take my place for the MCI exam. He and I have been working with another gentleman that was going to be taking the CI exam while at the event. So, buddy testing, student testing, and a chance to cast with Bruce in the grass… I’ll be there. Paul will be happy to know that The FLAMING HOT CHEETO did go with me to the event. Bruce did get the opportunity to cast the rod for a while, and you never get much out of Bruce, but a smile and a little giggle means a lot.
“I could compete with this rod.”
-Bruce Richards
What was the vibe of the event you may wonder. I drove to the event, which allowed me to bring the Ricky, and any and every fun casting toy or implement I could stuff in the wagon. I just parked my car in front of the best grass that I could find at the hotel and set up shop. Four chairs for visitors, 7 or 8 rods and reels, rod rack, pop-up tent, beer for some, champagne for others, big speaker, and the want to talk and cast with anyone who was willing for a few days. My idea of a good time.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get the participation I was hoping I would get. I think it is fair to a degree, because I did set up away from everyone, and was kind of doing my own thing for most of the time that I was there. In my defense, I didn’t want Marty to see me during his exam, and I didn’t want my student to either. So, I was kind of stuck being the weird guy in the parking lot dancing with his dog and casting around.
Marty passed the MCI exam. My hero! Marty is one of those guys that won’t figure out that he is a great caster until the 390th person has told him that it is so. Mr. Smooth. We both have Bruce as a mentor. I went off and played with the dark arts, and Marty has kept to the instructor course. It is funny to me to watch him and Bruce cast in the grass together. I don’t think they realize how close to identical they are. The absolute upper limits of perfect instructor casting, and the ability to get silly whenever they want. The discipline is more than admirable it ought to be a goal for anyone who takes the sport on.
My “student” (I say that broadly because ole boy came to us for polishing) passed the CI exam with stories. Exactly what you would want out of anyone associated with your teaching. I’m standing around during the cast around, and my student’s lead examiner and I are cutting up. He tells me that his last candidate was solid.
“If I could have passed him after task one, I would have.”
Given that I could stretch my involvement, I mentioned that it was my student. Obviously. Our friendly examiner went on to tell a story:
“Well he landed one of his accuracy casts like three inches from the cone in the middle of the hoop. One of the other examiners said, “Well why don’t you just put it in the circle in the cone then?”
Asked and delivered. My guy, John Frantzen, stuck that circle as asked, and went on to deliberately put that exam in its place. My Hero.
What about me you might ask. They asked me to do a demonstration some time ago, and I wasn’t super excited about the idea. After all I am nobody from nowhere that is working on doing something one day. Bruce mentioned that I ought to do it, and as the man wishes the man gets. I did a distance cast demonstration for the opening cast of the FlyFest event. It was ok. I was 5 on 5 with no warm up, 15 mph hurting wind, SA vendor tent in the way, mobility impaired gentleman that I need to cast next to, and no real notice to make it happen. Dance Monkey. Smooth one-hundred-foot casts with tight loops really get this crowd going.
The fun part was having my little Springer Spaniel along. Ricky was obviously the star of the show. Grown men were rolling in the grass with my little guy, and how could you resist. Bruce and I discussed whether or not there should be an FFI mascot. We decided that there should be, but there ought to be a vote to keep things on the level. Furthermore, I brought up that entrants to this potential elected position should be there at the event to be considered. Bruce thought that was fair. So, with at least 7 or 8 votes Ricky is the Official Unofficial Mascot of FFI. It’s about time they start appealing to the masses.
All in all, we had a fun time. I’ll be thinking mechanics for at least a week or two. It’s a side effect of being around the Bossman. Unfortunately, I can’t say that I was super impressed by any of the casting going on outside of my special place in the grass. I hope that we can continue to push the community forward and develop.
One added positive note! I met three more readers. We are up to 6 or 7 readers at least at this point. Thank you all for entertaining my banter once a week.
I think I enjoy doing this.