The Washington State Council of FFI will hold a Fly Casting Fair April 29th at Ballinger Park in Mountlake Terrace Washington. The day-long event will offer Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced, Youth and Spey Casting Skills Classes and a free Walk-in Casting clinic and Casting Skills Development Course led by FFI certified instructors. Families and kids are welcome. In addition, Fly Tying Demonstrations and Fly Tying Introduction Classes will be held inside the Lakeview Room at the Mountlake Terrace Senior Center, hosted by some of the best FFI fly tiers in the Pacific Northwest.

For the best experience, register for one of the following 90-minute casting classes:

Beginning Fly Casting Class

Ryan Smith Instructor Morning Class, 9 a.m.

Craig Koeppler Instructor Afternoon Class, 1 p.m.

This class is for those new to the sport or with limited casting experience. This class will cover the basics beginning with the pickup and lay down and the fundamental overhead cast. From there the focus will shift to setting a target on either streams or lakes and the techniques to make a confident cast to that target. Ryan and Craig will rely on brief demonstrations then shift to individual help for each student to identify and overcome problems. And if you don’t have a fly rod, don’t worry. We’ve got a loaner for you to use.

$37, 10 participants morning class

$37, 8 participants afternoon class

Intermediate Level Casting Class

Tom Cammarata Instructor, 9 a.m.

In this class you will learn a technique to self-improve your overhead cast. You can also use this technique to learn to shoot line, perform a single or double hauls, perform on water and aerial mends, and improve your tracking. For this class you must have solid experience fly casting, this is not a beginners fly casting class. The gear required for the class includes a 5 to 7 weight forward float fly line, 8.5 to 10 foot fly rod, 7.5 feet of leader with yarn attached, and eye protection. In addition, if time allows we will also have a discussion about selecting the appropriate fly line design for different fly casting scenarios and species of fish. I will ask you to tell me about the design of your fly line at some point in the class so be prepared. Here is a hint, bring the box for your fly line.

$37, 8 participants

Youth Fly Casting Class

Aaron Culley Instructor, 9 a.m.

Students 10-14 years old will learn how to set up a fly rod and the safe handling of the rod and reel. Aaron will explain the mechanics of a cast and how the rod transfers the motion of your hand into the line and delivers a fly to the water. Students will learn how to grip the rod, the stance for casting and the basic casting stroke. Aaron will introduce these concepts by comparing the motions of casting to motions we are all familiar with like using a hammer to drive a nail, using a fly swatter or tossing a ball. By the end, students will have learned the basics of casting a line.

No cost, 8 participants

Two-handed Spey Casting Class

Molly Semenik and Todd Somsel Instructors, 9:30 a.m.

This class is designed for people who have some experience with spey casting and want to improve their performance. The class will briefly cover equipment and its contribution to the cast. Then the class will move on to understanding casting principles including establishing an anchor point for the line and its importance in a good cast. The goal is to improve you ability to deliver casts that cover the water and put flies in position to catch fish.

$53, 8 participants

Women’s Fly Casting Class

Marion Hiller and Ruth Sims Instructors, 1 p.m.

This class is designed for women anglers with advanced-beginning to intermediate fly casting and fishing experience who want to learn what it takes to improve casting skills to become a more effective angler. Students will gain insights to improve the foundational cast: the pick up-lay down cast, the overhead cast: false casting, accuracy casting: effectively casting to different distances, and leave with exercises to practice for continued progress. If time permits, the fundamentals of the roll cast will be included.

Suggested gear: one rod: 4-6 wt. rod, a floating line if possible, and 7.5 feet tapered leader with a yarn fly attached, and eye protection.

$37, 8 participants morning class

Single-handed Spey Casting Class

Molly Semenik and Todd Somsel Instructors, 1 p.m.

Ever find yourself in a difficult fishing situation with your back to dense brush and a roll cast just won’t deliver your fly far enough for that rising fish? Adding a single-handed spey cast to your skills will give you the ability to get to that distant target and catch more fish. Single-handed spey casting is fun to boot. It allows you to reposition your fly on the water faster and more efficiently. The class will cover the four basic spey casts, how to make them and how to diagnose and correct problems with your casting stroke.

$53, 8 participants

Advanced Casting Class

Don Simonson Instructor, 1 p.m.

This advanced fly-casting workshop is designed to enhance your casting accuracy, distance and improve fly placement by using slack line casts, ariel mends and curve casts even in windy conditions. To obtain the most from this class each attendee should have the ability to execute all of the of basic fly-casting mechanics and produce narrow casting loops front and back. Students should also be able to perform a basic roll cast and a basic haul. Attendees need to provide their own casting outfit with a weight forward floating line and eye protection. Don suggests bringing a small notebook with pen/pencil for note taking during the workshop.

$53, 6 participants

Walk-in Casting Clinic

Pat Peterman Instructor

Want help solving that annoying tailing loop problem? Want to figure out the double-haul or develop a better roll cast? Bring your questions to the walk-in clinic and spend time with a Certified FFI Casting Instructor. The process will be simple. Bring your own rod. Stop at the registration desk when you arrive and describe what you want to learn, or the problem you want to address. You will be matched with an instructor either individually or in groups of 2 or 3 to work on the skill.

$7 Donation appreciated

Casting Skills Development Course

Jim Black Instructor

The Casting Skills Development Course is a fun way to improve your casting skills in a self-paced interactive fashion. You can engage with instructors at the site to work through the skills step by step. Better yet, you and your friends can engage together working through steps and challenging one another to advance your abilities. The Skills Development Course moves through four levels from beginner to advanced. Those with solid foundational skills can work up through the levels to Bronze, Silver and Gold abilities and win FFI recognition for your level of achievement.

$7 Donation appreciated.

Introduction to Fly Tying

Sam Matalone and Vern Jeremica, 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.

The thrill of catching a fish on a fly you tied is like no other. Tying your own flies adds a new dimension to your angling experience. Tying a fly may appear intimidating, but it is not. Especially, with experienced tiers to teach you the basics. This course is an introduction on “How to Tie a Fly”. All the equipment and material will be provided. You will spend a vast majority of time learning the basics of how to tie a fly plus, reviewing the tools and materials required. The class is open to all from 5 to 95 years young. Don't worry if you've never tied before, we will show you how easy it is.

 $22, for the morning and afternoon classes, 8 participants per class

Attendance for all classes is limited. Don't miss out - Click on the "Class Sign-up" button to signup for a class.

Participants in casting classes or the other events are welcome to bring their own fly rods. Please attach yarn to your leader. No hooks please. If you don’t have a fly rod, you will be able to borrow one for the classes.

FFI would appreciate a $7 donation from members of the public for participating in the Walk-In Clinic and Skills Development Courses to help cover the costs of the Fly Casting Fair.

You can also make a $27 donation to the FFI Washington Council to help support our mission is to ensure the legacy of fly fishing for all fish in all waters continues by focusing on conservation, education and a sense of community.

Class Signup Instructions:

1. Click on the "Class Sign-up" button
2. Click on the Fly Casting Class that you want to sign up for
3. Fill out the Class Enrollment Information and Questions
4. Fill out your credit card information to pay for the class
5. Click order the order confirmation button which will send a class signup email to you
6. within the emailed Class Conformation email, click on the download class ticket pdf button and print out the ticket
7. Bring the Fly Fishing Casting Class Ticket to the Ballinger Park Mountlake Senior Center for check in at the Fly Fishing Fair Registration Table.