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Certified Fly Casting Instructor Training Schools

Next Advanced 2-Day Fly Casting School Bryson City, NC April 12-13 & September 13-14, 2025

Fly Casting Weekend Class

Learn everything necessary to pass your FFI test in the Certified Fly Casting Instructor training schools. The journey of a Certified Fly Casting Instructor will assist you in learning more about fly casting, hence improving your skills. Share your knowledge of fly casting more effectively with others because it is FUN watching others improve! Fly casting defines fly fishing. Folks typically buy equipment with a free lesson from the big brand stores. This is a necessary part of the beginner’s journey. A huge part of the regression in North America is due to everything being driven by retail entertainment over education. certified fly casting instructor training schools

Improve your game to share this knowledge with others as a mentor, coach, and instructor. Learn to bust myths in regards to fly casting that is most prevalent today. Social media is to blame for the regression today occurring at an ever-increasing pace. When fallacies are accepted by a majority it becomes a major problem in getting back to truthful basics! More importantly, the class will convey the understanding of fly casting intent used in fly fishing.

Golfers often begin the journey with many visits with the golf pro to establish the basics of the game. In fly fishing, folks often remain self-taught for years with little instruction. The main issue with this approach is that bad habits become difficult to change over time. Learn to teach and perform effectively from the beginning!

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Pantomime Casting Drills

Testimonials from Attendees to the Class

5-star-ratingJohn Mauldin, Ph.D. 3/15/19

“You all did a wonderful job of bringing together a highly experienced group of teachers. I expect the collective years of experience were well over a hundred. The tips and ideas offered were very helpful to me. I also felt more confident after several people did critiques and corrections. I got a feel for the loops rather than a strictly mechanical approach. Everyone was very kind and considerate. Great class!”

5-star-ratingPaul Barbour, Ohio, 4/18

Do yourself a huge favor, and instead of buying that new fly rod that’s carved out of unicorn horn, or the new reel that’s milled from fairy wings, try attending Mac’s seminar. You will see much more improvement with Mac than any new gear could possibly offer. It’s a fabulous value— great people, a gorgeous setting, and world-class instruction.
I could not recommend it more!”

5-star-ratingMorgan Cryster, Greeneville, SC 11/10/18

“Thanks for a great class”

5-star-ratingAaron Christensen, Charlotte, NC 11/10/18

“Instagram does not leave enough room to describe the quality of this program. Two full days of instruction from three of the top instructors and casters in the country and world. Yes, it’s worth every penny, and yes you should do it. The best casting instruction imaginable. Highly recommend it to my fly-fishing friends who want to advance their casting and teaching skills to the next level. The class provides the tools and confidence to succeed.”

5-star-ratingFrank Conlon, Raleigh, NC 11/11/18

“The last two days were incredible! It really inspired me to be better. I can’t remember a more rewarding 2 days. This class really inspired me to improve! I am so determined to practice more than ever. Thanks”

5-star-ratingJason Fleming, NC, 11/10/18

“Mac is awesome! He got me to cast the entire line with a double haul on a slow 8′ 4wt rod. He did it himself first and then told me the line was on backward and fixed it. I was lucky to intern with his fly fishing class at WCU.”

5-star-ratingJohn Nabors, Madisonville, GA 12/7/17

“Thank you for your patience and willingness to teach us what you love. Thank you for being you. It’s hard to come across someone like you who is true, genuine, sincere, and real. I greatly appreciate that.”

5-star-ratingLeo Tammaro, Boston, MA 8/7/18

“I wanted to thank you, Tom and Eric, for all of the information given during the 2-day workshop. It was the perfect balance between classroom information and practical instruction. I highly recommend this course for anyone seriously pursuing certification. The takeaways from this course have helped me improve my casting, diagnose casting faults, and make the necessary corrections needed to advance as a casting instructor.”

What Is Expected for Certification?

The first step is to download the test on your phone or tablet. The test can be downloaded in PDF format here (Certified Instructor Test). This will assist you as you begin the journey. The beginning explains what is the expectation for you the candidate. It will be helpful to purchase a 100′ tape measure and cones during your practice sessions. The practice sessions should be fun and kept relatively short in the beginning. Keep a relaxed and comfortable grip at all times! You will already know the areas you excel in when running through the test. The weaker areas will often challenge you to figure out just what is going on.

The class is for anyone who wants to raise the bar for their own journey of skills in fly casting. Using the CI tasks helps us to establish a baseline so to speak. Many will think they can watch YouTube videos for everything they need to know. The problem with just watching videos and books is they lack direct feedback. One of the biggest problems globally in teaching the kinesthetic action of fly casting is that it perhaps has been oversimplified! Learn to formulate your opinion and discern from poor information.

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Teaching Fly Casting Tasks

Equipment Requirements

I would suggest a notebook and pen for taking notes. A 7-weight rod with a bright-colored fly line (SA ED is perfect). The leader should be 7 ½’ to 8’ in length.

Topics Covered

My objective is to facilitate and share drills, tips, and most importantly the knowledge base of teaching. Everyone’s personal journey constantly is enhanced by viewing things over time. We all continue to grow the sport in a positive direction. Tradition has many gems to take into the future. Evolution is pushing it ahead by conveying what has been introduced in defiance of tradition.

This program will meet and exceed what is expected of the FFI CI and MCI instructor requirements. Two of the most important aspects lacking in fly casting today are an understanding of rod loading and the concept of “less is more” in regard to loop efficiency. Once this becomes crystal clear there is always a light-bulb moment for the student! These moments are the best for both the mentor and the student!

Itinerary

Discussion and Continuing Education:

History of Fly Casting
Intent and Fly Casting
Understanding the Body Movements for Successful Rod Load
Skewing the RULES
Pantomime Used in Teaching
Fly Casting Myths Debunked
Skills for Teaching Others
Separation of Style and Substance
Understanding Gear Considerations
Leaders, Fly Line, and Fly Rods
Basic Mechanics of the Cast
Clearing Up Fallacies in Fly Casting Today
A. Learn Rod Loading (loading from the butt instead of the tip)
B. Resultants of Effort (Applied Forces)
C. Understanding Loop Efficiency and Shapes for Fly Casting
D. Diagnostics Used for Analyzing the Cast
“5 Essentials” Discussion of essential or not?
Casting Conditions (Humidity, Wind and Atmospheric Pressure)
Understanding Gear Differences & Adjustments

Outside Baseline Tasks:

Skill Sets from the CI Test
Applying Pantomime Motions to the Rod
Numerous Drills and Exercises for Teaching Others
Advanced 3D Fly Casting for Fishing (Presentation, presentation, presentation)
Understanding the Layout of curves, piles, tucks, accuracy, slackline, etc.. and more
Single and Double-Handed Techniques
Fly Line Hauling Drills
Shooting Line Drills
MCI Tasks
Aerial Mending During the Stroke
Aerial Mending After the Stroke (RSP)
Transverse Waves and Fly Casting
Keys to the Kingdom for Dealing with Change of Direction (Singlehanded Spey)

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Relaxation at NBC after a Fun 2-Day Advanced Fly Casting Class with Fellow Instructors

Why Improve Your Casting?

The class will bring value to your understanding of improving your skills in fly casting with greater efficiency. It helps to create better-informed instructors to teach effectively what is needed for the student. Be MOTIVATED to apply these tasks in a FUN setting. It will save you decades of frustration from going at it alone and remaining self-taught which is a slow track process. Learning to discern good and poor information is a big part of the process for your fly-casting journey.

There are real skillsets out there to attain. Why attempt the slow path of getting where you want to be by remaining self-taught? What if you jump-start your learning curve by understanding what you desire first? Distance, accuracy, roll casts, and all of the other controlled fishing casts are derived from the execution of the same basic fundamentals. Get a strong foundation with these first to grow.

This information is priceless in regard to what folks gladly pay for equipment and exotic fishing destinations. The casting instructor community needs your help to grow the evolution of the sport in the proper direction! You can raise the bar much higher than where it is set today for your community! These micro niches of communities are where all of the change eventually reaches out globally. This has occurred time and time again in comp-style angling, Spey casting, and many others. It is what drives the sport overall. You are the essential part of the equation!

Teaching

Once you have gained confidence in your abilities on the tape and practice start recruiting family members and kids from your local area and introduce them to the many joys of fly flinging! The certification is about teaching in actuality. Teaching is FUN in that the more you teach others you learn to refine your understanding in a more concise manner. The art of becoming masterful in teaching any kinesthetic sport is keeping it simple, hence FUN. Learn to convey Fundamentals through the use of many analogies, hence not a rigid structure.

A heavy emphasis on teaching during the Certified Fly Casting Instructor Training Schools. That is always the most evident number one thing when administrating the examination for the prepared candidate. The process is so much easier with proper coaching because you actually understand the material.

Location

Certified Fly Casting Instructor Training Schools’ main location is in the beautiful town of Bryson City, North Carolina. Home of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is one of the most beautiful areas in North America. You may wish to spend a few extra days due to the excellent local trout fishing in the area. Here is a quick link to some images from Google of the area.

Many lodges and fly shops may wish to have their guides certified and we have made custom schedules to accommodate them in their hometown. The shops and outfitters set these up well in advance for their hometown of operations. There is no doubt that return clients and sales increase when shop employees can teach students in short order.

Other Single-Day Locations for Advanced Fly Casting School

The Virginia Fly Fishing Festival (Doswell, VA Jan. 13-15, 2023) will be hosting the program in 2023.

Gary Borger and I will be teaming up to bring an advanced fly casting class at the Fly Fishing Shows (Marlborough, MA, Edison, NJ, Atlanta, GA, Denver, CO, & Pleasanton, CA). These classes will run a day before the shows begin. Hope to see you at one of these events! Signup for these specialized classes on the show’s website. We have them listed months in advance to get you into the latest understanding of the fly-casting evolution. I am excited to get the word out in these areas bringing casting evolution!

What Is Included?

The class will run for two full days and includes all of the test preparation with emphasis on the teaching skills here in Bryson City, NC. Many mock lessons to apply what you have learned to promote teaching skills. The venue may vary in location hence no accommodations. The benefit for shop owners is that you benefit your clients with more precise fly casting instruction that saves valuable time. This leads to repeat clients because it separates you from other shops stuck in mediocrity. Increased rod sales because the customer actually learns what to do to make fly casting fun!

Cost

The tariff for the 2-day class in Bryson City, NC is $1250.00. This saves you $3550 off the normal rate of instruction ($300 per hour) typical throughout the year. Text, email: [email protected], or call 828-736-1469 for booking a slot as these fill quickly and class size is limited.

Instructors

Mac Brown, Eric Cook, and Tom Rueping typically conduct the Certified Fly Casting Instructor training schools. Their track record in preparing successful candidates is nearly 100% for the CI and MCI testing over a long period of time. We also like to bring in world-class guest instructors throughout the year which helps to share ideas on teaching as well as casting for all involved.

Information on them can be found by clicking here. All three teachers are Master Certified Instructors and are L-2 examiners for Fly Fisher’s International. They all have conducted many Certified Instructor and Master Certified Instructor exams through the latest testing procedure.

 

 

 

 

 

Contact Info

Mac Brown

779 West Deep Creek Rd

Bryson City, NC 28713

(828) 736-1469

[email protected]

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Qualifications & Certifications Est. 1987

2016-2022 Fly Fishers United Best Outfitter Award

2021 Fly Fishers International Mel Krieger Award

1999 Field & Stream Angler of the Year Award

Master Casting Instructor

  • FFI Master Casting Instructor

2017 Inductee Hall of Fame

  • Hall of Fame

Presenter since 1995 @theflyfishingshow

  • Presenter since 1995 Fly Fishing Show

Team USA Youth Coach

  • Team USA Youth Coach

Fly Fishing Program Director

  • Ass. Prof. Fly Fishing WCU

American Casting Association

  • American Casting Association

American Canoe Association

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American Red Cross

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American FF Tackle Association

  • AFFTA

Trout Unlimited

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  • http://www.greatsmokies.com/

Bryson City Rotary International

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