What's Tournament Casting Anyway?

Membership Applications Available Online Now

I put together a small slice of what casting means to me and a good reason to think about membership in an ACA casting club like RSCC. Casting is gracefully beautiful to watch and at the same time, it's a serious sport. Fortunately, casters don't take themselves too seriously. Enjoy the show, enjoy the sport, ignore me being occasionally tongue-tied.

Casting is about casting and casting is about fishing.  Let it all seep down into your bones and have fun.

View non-blurry, slightly larger video here.


Photos courtesy of Jack Turner, Donna Walkuski, Craig Buckbee.

© Marian Tallon, March 2012

Rio Salado Casting Club Schedule

Rio Salado Casting Club - April 2012 ACA Casting Schedule

Opening Day Cast: Gilbert Municipal Court - Casting Field & Pond

                                  55 E. Civic Center Dr. Gilbert, AZ 85296

                                  (at Gilbert Rd. south of Warner Rd.) Map

Saturday, April 7 11:00AM: Featured Guest Steve Rajeff.


11:00AM: Steve Rajeff:
                    Tournament Accuracy Casting Overview/Demonstration.
                     Everyone is invited to cast during open practice and coaching.
                     (Times may vary.)

• Dry Fly open practice & coaching.
• Dry Fly Accuracy Event. (6 or 7wt - F)
  
• Bass Bug open practice & coaching.
• Bass Bug Accuracy Event. (8 or 9wt - F)
  

2:15PM: Steve Rajeff:
                 Tournament Distance Casting Overview/Demonstration.
                  Everyone is invited to cast during open practice and coaching.
                  (Times may vary.)

• 1/4 oz Spin Accuracy open practice & coaching.
• 1/4 oz Spin Accuracy Event. (reel - fixed spool)
  
• 5/8 oz Plug Accuracy Event.

4:30PM: Open practice & coaching. (Times may vary.)


Map: Rio Salado Casting Club, Gilbert Municipal Court, 55 E Civic Center
          Dr. Gilbert, AZ 85296

• You're invited to bring your own gear, or use available club equipment.
• Accuracy plugs and flies are available for a $1.50 and $2.00 donation, respectively.
• Bring a chair.

Membership applications will be available at the cast.

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Revised

Sunday, April 8, ACA/Rio Salado Casting Club Tournament
  7:00AM: Set up. Registration before 8:00AM.

  8:00AM: Trout Fly Event.
  9:00AM: Dry Fly Event.
10:00AM: Bass Bug Event.
11:00AM: Open Plug.
12:00PM: Closing Announcements.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Host Hotel: Best Western Inn of Tempe, Tempe, AZ
                    670 North Scottsdale Road Tempe, Arizona 8528, Map
                    480 784-2233
                    Sales Manager: Janice
                    ACA/RSCC Group Rate: $70.99+tax
                    Directions from Sky Harbor Airport: Map
                    Directions to RSCC, 55 E Civic Center Dr. Gilbert, AZ: Map
                    Driving directions: Map

Rio Salado Casting Club Grand Opening

Featured Guest Steve Rajeff
Celebrating the grand opening of Rio Salado Casting Club and Arizona’s exciting entry into the American Casting Association, Steve Rajeff will be in the Valley April 7 to introduce tournament casting to Arizona anglers. Among the most renowned casters and anglers in the world, Steve has won 37 American and 14 world casting championships. Retired from guiding in Wyoming and Alaska, he is now the rod designer for G·Loomis. Steve will demonstrate fly, spin, and revolving spool casting techniques and equipment. Come join the fun.

Where:  Gilbert Municipal Court - Casting Field & Pond

                    55 E. Civic Center Dr. Gilbert, AZ 85296

                    (at Gilbert Rd. south of Warner Rd.)
When:   Saturday, April 7, 11am - 6:00pm
What:     Bring a chair, snacks and drinks. Following Steve’s demonstration,
                    you’re invited to cast an accuracy round, ask experts for advice,
                    stay and enjoy the 
tournament casting games.


Visit phoenixflycasting.com and click the link for Rio Salado Casting Club News.

Membership applications will be available at the cast.

Arizona Wildlife Federation BOW Deluxe 2012

Down by the riverside...

Blue skies and sunshine take the chill off an early Arizona morning. Phoenix Fly Casting instructors teamed up with volunteers from Arizona Flycasters Club and our friend Bill Larson from Arizona Game and Fish to introduce BOW participants to the sport of fly fishing.

On the bank of the Salt River new anglers learned equipment setup, quick knots, basic casts, line management, fly selection and tips for enticing fish in moving water. Click for full size view.

The fish managed to elude us, but it was easy to catch the good time vibes of camaraderie and the exhilaration of having fun outdoors.


Photos courtesy of Sara Yeager.

Build it and they will come...

Refer to my friend Craig's post "East Went West" Xmas list and you'll know I'm delighted to announce Christmas is coming to Arizona!

Arizona Flycasters Club Spey Day Intro

Arizona Flycasters Club members enjoyed an introductory Spey and Switch Cast workshop hosted by Bruce Williams and Molly Semenik.

Clubs are among the best way to jump head first into the sport.

The simple Spey Tree...native to serious anglers.

Weight matched line, but still no rod loading "feel" as Jim and I experiment.

Quick study "gets" the roll cast, you got it - quick!

Perfect day, perfect cast. Ahh!

Molly Semenik demoing the static roll.

Bruce Williams answering member questions about gear.

Jim fulcrum casting with the business end of the rod. Wow, that's different!

Spey Tree under blue sky.

Photos courtesy of Ron Robinson & Donna Walkuski

Hiking with a Fly Rod - Just for Fun

It was a pretty day and the 3 of us set out for a hike in the Phoenix Desert Mountain Preserve. We came across so many fishhook cactus I thought - well why not.

Donna was quickly pressed into becoming a photographer and I, a spontaneous stunt caster.

What the heck was I thinking? It was all in good fun and when it was all over, we were tangle free and unscathed. It was rather thrilling dodging the cholla with my fly line. The ground was littered with cones from a late night javelina buffet.

Donna wanted me to slow my tempo, so the fly line would better show in the pics, but I was slightly paranoid about becoming a cholla pincushion. In a full screen view here, or here, I can see I may have rushed my forward cast a few times, which speaks to my earlier post about our loops being an instructive teacher. Our loops alert us to corrections we need to make in our stroke as we cast.

A steady, consistent cast can keep your fly line from fouling between saguaro and mesquite bush. You don't need to try this at home, but I encourage you to think about how your casting style, regardless of what style you're generally most comfortable with, can and does matter in a tricky, sticky situation. Adapting our style can optimize our fishing.

Just so you know, our dog Indie doesn't usually sport a lavender bow. Indie became a "Leave No Trace" hound and did her chic bit by fashionably donning found rubbish without complaint. Very fetching [pun intended].