At this point, I’m forced to feign surprise that I missed the start of the Orvis National Casting Competition in four-hours-up-the-road Bend, Oregon – being as the only alternative is to admit that I cast poorly on some days, and really poorly on others.
And with people like Tim Rajeff showing up to put the boots to the clearly inadequate males amateurs comprising most of the field, let’s just say I’m glad I’m here writing about this thing instead of there demonstrating my expert tailing loop in front of people with video cameras.
Thus, the illusion of omnipotence remains intact.
Still, for those with an interest:
Amateurs can participate on Friday, starting with a clinic at 3 p.m. Professional casters will compete on Saturday, beginning at 9 a.m. The ladies competition is set for Sunday at 9 a.m. Registration is still available (541-312-8200).
Kevney Dugan, fishing manager for Bend’s Orvis, the fly-fishing retail chain based in Vermont, says he expects about 12 pros to take part on Saturday, including top casters Tim Rajeff, of Vancouver, Wash.; Henry Mittel, of San Ramon, Calif.; and Floyd Dean, of Sausalito, Calif.
When Orvis first launched their casting course, I wrote that this kind of competition was intriguing; could this kind of competition help a flailing fly fishing industry, or are we all just better off going fly fishing?
Given my ability to wrap a fly line around my neck – and those of anyone fishing “danger close” – I lean towards the latter instead of the former, but that doesn’t mean this kind of thing is wholly without merit.
The Bend paper describes the course thusly:
The course, which is open free to the public, opened last fall. Each hole has a unique set of challenges and rules, and a designated par. For example, a par-4 hole could include three targets — meaning that if a caster hits all three targets in a total of four casts, he or she makes par.
Targets on the pond holes are floating rings made of aluminum. On the land holes, the targets are rings made of concrete.
Casters use fly lines and leader, and a small piece of yarn attached to the leader in place of the fly. For safety reasons, the hooked flies typically used by fly anglers are not allowed on the course.
Other holes require anglers to cast as far as they can, then walk to the yarn, and cast again from there — much like a conventional golfer, hitting a series of shots to reach the hole.
It’s funny, but I do that too. I cast my fly as far as I can, then walk to where it’s hung up in a tree, cast again, and walk to the next tree… you get the picture.
Maybe I’d be better at this competition thing than I thought.
Grave's Landing to Policeman's Flats
