In the February "Flyer" you were introduced to the basic rules for the dry fly casting event. and in March the tournament rules for trout fly accuracy In this April issue you willfind the tournament rules for bass bug accuracy. These three events comprise the accuracy events in the fly rod category at tournaments. If you ever get involved in these events, even if it is only during your practice time, and you follow the rules you will quickly realize how much more competent you will be in placing your fly in your fishing endeavors. I enjoy casting in all three events, but my favorite is the bass bug event. As is true in the aforementioned events, you must also display great arc control, power application control, and timing control for exquisite accuracy. The bass bug event has to help in developing a speed cast as utilized in tarpon, bonefish, snook, redfish and other saltwater species of fishing. The roll casting portion of the trout fly accuracy aids in initiating the speed cast. All three events emphasize accuracy. We must learn to discipline ourselves to do what we must do in tournament casting just as we must discipline our selves when casting while fishing. I, personally, in many instances am guilty of wasting time when practicing by just casting instead of working on tournament as well as fishing skills. Waiting until you get to your favorite fishing area to learn a skill is a gross mistake. I have witnessed on a great number of occasions people that have paid big bucks to get to a destination only to be inept in casting skills. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE.
The American Casting Association can provide the full facts on tournament casting.
TARGET COURSE There are six targets—the same five used in dry fly and trout fly and a sixth target set out at least sixty-five feet but not more than seventy feet.
ROD, REEL, LINE, LEADER, AND FLY The rod cannot be more than nine feet one inch long. The reel is unrestricted. The line must be a floating type with a maximum diameter not exceeding 0.068 inch (usually a nine weight line). The leader cannot be less than six feet with a tippet not less than twelve inches that does not exceed .014 inch diameter. The fly must be an official ACA bass bug.
TIMEWhen the caster's final forward cast lands on the water he has five minutes to finish the course of two rounds (twelve targets).
METHOD OF CASTING The line shall be stripped from the reel by the caster or judge and the bug placed at least ten feet beyond the farthest target. The caster retrieves the line and begins with bug in hand and no more than the leader plus two feet of line extending beyond the tip. The false cast is the mechanism in which the line, leader and fly are moved through the air without intentionally striking the surface in front of the casting box. The cast is completed when the fly, leader, or line settles on the water on a final forward delivery.
Casting one-handed, the caster starts the complete round of six final forward casts with the nearest target. The caster may false cast as many times as required to measure distance to the nearest target before making a final forward cast. The caster shall proceed to the next nearest target and so on until all six targets have been cast to using no more than two false casts.
METHOD OF CASTING At the conclusion of the sixth final forward cast of round one, the caster shall retrieve line. The caster begins with the bug in hand and no more than two feet of line extended beyond the tip of the rod. The caster shall repeat the procedure of round one except that only one false cast shall be allowed between targets two through six.
A perfect score of one hundred points consists of twelve casts where the bug falls within or hits any part of the target. For each foot or fraction of a foot missed one demerit is charged. A maximum of two demerits shall be called for targets one through five. Target six shall have a maximum of five demerits. Penalties of one demerit can be charged for the following: tick, extra false casts. A penalty of two demerits can be charged for failing to begin either round one or round two with bass bug in hand.
