Certified Casting Instructor

The reason I pursued the FFI-CCI designation (Fly Fishers International - Certified Casting Instructor) is because I believe a bamboo rod builder needs to be able to push his or her taper designs to the limit. Casting a short line only tells you how the rod casts with a short line. And that's fine and that will tell you something about the rod's action but, especially with progressive action rods, you need to extend the casts out to 80, 90, or even 100' to know how the rod performs when pushed. You need to know how to cast that far in order to test rods to their full potential. And you need to know, not only how to make a basic roll cast, but you need to know how to make a long distance dynamic roll cast.

It took me about a year to get the designation. I took advanced casting lessons from Paul Arden of Sexyloops fame and practiced several times a week. There is also a very rigorous knowledge requirement. The time and effort was very much worth it because even though I have been fly fishing for 50 years I didn't know what I didn't know.

So besides being able to test and improve my fly rod designs I am also able to offer casting lessons. Being a full time casting instructor is not my goal -- my goal is to make the best casting bamboo fly rods in existence. You can rest assured that if you buy a RScott fly rod, whether it be a basic Back Country Cane version or an highly embellished Svenska Rod version you will own not only a very nice bamboo fly rod, but a bamboo fly rod that casts literally second to none. Every RScott fly rod comes with three, 1/2 hour Zoom lessons. The first lesson will be an evaluation and recommended practice regime. The second will come after you have practiced according to our plan, and the third will be all about honing your skills. These lessons are designed for intermediate level caster because it normally takes more than three lessons to teach a beginner, but even if you are a beginner I am happy to provide the three lessons.

According to FFI website:

"The Casting Instructor Certification Program (CICP) was developed to enhance the overall level of instruction in fly casting by increasing instructor knowledge, casting proficiency, and teaching ability. A secondary goal was to create a common understanding of casting terminology and casting mechanics that would serve the fly casting community, internationally and in North America.

"Objectives of the Program

"The CICP Program's main objectives are to educate and enhance the growth of fly casting instructors by:

• Establishing high and consistent standards for casting instructors.

• Administering a test that fairly and consistently assesses the candidate's knowledge of casting, teaching ability, and casting proficiency.

• Conducting teaching workshops as a required part of certification.

• Conducting clinics on how to teach fly casting at FFI shows, fairs, and consumer fishing demonstrations.

• Developing and maintaining an instruction reference for certified instructors.

• Establishing and maintaining communication networks for certified instructors.

• Facilitating the exchange of ideas between instructors worldwide."

If you or someone you know would like to own an RScott fly rod or wants to bring their casting to the next level please contact Ron directly by emailing him at RSalar@gmail.com