HomePFF Casting Skills Award Recipients

PFF Casting Skills Award Recipients

To view the list PFF Casting Skills Award recipients (viewable to PFF members ONLY), PFF Casting Award Recipients. (PFF login required)

Please note regarding the list -- if you are a PFF member but received your FFI Casting Skills certification through FFI directly or from another club, please contact our Casting Skills coordinators to inform them.

Below are summaries of the casting skills required to achieve the Bronze, Silver and Gold Levels. To view the full descriptions of these levels and for more information, please review Fly Fishing International's (FFI) Fly Casting Skills Development program. Note for Silver and Gold levels, while one does not need to achieve certification for the next lower level to be assessed for the higher level, we strongly recommend members be certified for Bronze and progress from there. Experience has shown that those who attempt to "short cut" the process end up starting at Bronze anyway. 😊

Some experienced fly anglers may shrug and view the required skills below as unnecessary or rote, the consensus is that every required cast has one or more actual on-the-water use cases or applicable fishing scenarios. Mastering these skills won't guarantee you'll catch more fish (what does?), but it will provide you much greater opportunities and will increase your enjoyment and satisfaction on the water.

For member questions on the Fly Casting Skills Development levels or our monthly Casting Skills clinics, please contact our Casting Skills coordinators.

We strongly encourage all PFF members to join FFI for access to their entire education portfolio, which includes casting skills development.

Bronze Level

This is a basic level of casting skills useful for fishing that you can measure yourself against and work towards, whether you have been casting for years or are just starting. The skills for Bronze are the following:

Pick up and lay down the fly to a 4 foot target at 35 feet distance on your dominant side (Right or Left Shoulder)
Pick up and lay down the fly to a 4 foot target at 35 feet on your non-dominant side (over your opposite shoulder)
Pick up and lay down cast in a horizontal plane with the fly landing within 4 feet either side of the center line.
Shoot line from 35 to 40 feet to the 4 foot target at 40 feet distance
Hit 4 foot target rings at 25 and 35 feet
Roll cast (dominant side) to at least 35 feet
Distance cast to 50 feet

All of these casts are relatively basic, but they are an objective, measurable set of skills to achieve.

Silver Level

The skills required for Silver are the following:

Pick up and lay down the fly to a 4 foot target at 45 feet distance on your dominant side (Right or Left Shoulder)
Pick up and lay down the fly to a 4 foot target at 45 feet on your non-dominant side (over your opposite shoulder)
Perform a Belgian Cast and Shoot
Roll cast (non-dominant side) to at least 35 feet
Accuracy cast to 4 foot target rings at 20, 30 and 40 feet
Right Reach Mend Cast
Left Reach Mend Cast
Distance cast to at least 60 feet

We recommend that members first achieve certification for the Bronze Level before attempting to qualify for Silver Level.

Gold Level

Below is a summary of demonstrated skills required for a Gold level award, but please consult with a PFF Casting Skills coordinator before you start practicing because it's critical to understand the background and context:

Loop Control Demonstration - starting with the fly at 40 feet, demonstrate 4 false casts with no larger than 4 foot loops on forward and back casts.
Seated/Kneeling Cast and Shoot fly to a 4 foot target at 40 feet
Curve Cast (either side) around an obstacle at approximately 25 feet
Slack Line Presentation with fly landing beyond line tip, within 4 feet of center but no more than 37 feet from angler
Roll Cast Pick Up and Shoot to at least 45 within 3 false casts
Back Cast Delivery to target at least 45 feet behind angler
Accuracy Cast (non-dominant side) to 20, 30 and 40 foot targets
Distance Cast to at least 70 feet

We recommend that members first achieve certification for the Bronze and Silver levels before attempting to qualify for Gold Level.