20
Úno
2014
My personal opinion on some competition rules
It was my mistake, that I mixed the official interpretation of the rules modifications with my subjective comments in previous report. I corrected the report about tungsten bodies and I hope that it is clear now, that it is official interpretation which will be presented during first captain meeting. Let me write an essay aimed on rules in a separate report.
I thing, that in some cases are competition rules to complicated and we can never stop development. In all human activities mainly in sport leads to victory hard practice combined with hi-tech, as usage of brain is typical for human race. I´m fisheries manager in South Bohemia waters and I work in committee of the Board of Czech Angling Union aimed on the management of fisheries and on the fishing rules. We almost every year have to more and more clarify differences between spinning and fly fishing, as this two methods are connected in Czech law with other consequent rules. The development of lures and flies is very quick and it is sometimes very difficult to differ, what is fly and what is lure.
Everybody can feel from recently established new rules (e.g. tungsten bodies, maximal length of leaders, distance from nots, size of flies), that they are mainly aimed to protect fly-fishing against spinning. I understand it, but I´m afraid that it is not sustainable method.
In standard conditions, the fly fishing is always more effective, than spinning. We have fisheries, for example the river Vltava, where is allowed both spinning any fly fishing. But I have never met there an angler with spinning rod in hand except of specialist on pike. Why? Fly fishing is more effective and more funny.
But in non-standard conditions – mainly when the water is too deep or fish are to far from bank, spinning is better. What about focus on ensuring of standard conditions fair to all competitors more that the rules, which causes only problems?
It is fair to say very big improvement in rules has been made to prevent temptation of organisers to help home competitors. How many matches had to been lost by best teams and how much time took the negotiation of obligation of international judges and hiding of draw?
Let me give three examples of questionable rules in my point of view:
1) Tungsten bodies
In our waters, where it is possible to use two or three flies, we don´t use TB as we prefer usage of more light nymphs, they are more native and more effective. In our home competitions you would hardly see fly bigger than 12 with tungsten bead bigger than 2,5 mm. But in waters which are very deep and where the number of used flies is limited by local rules ( e.g. Slovenia – 1 fly only waters), the TB is a clever way how to reach the deepest pools. And tell me, why majority of local anglers in Slovenia fish with two nymphs if nobody can watch them?
2) Length of leaders
In time when the French team was gaining victories with their special nymphing technique, it was not problem. Problem came up after K.Křivanec observed this technique and in cooperation with top Czech anglers adapted it to our style of nymphing and it gave us few medals. Other teams copied it, practised it and found out, that it is very effective and very natural style of fishing. And next it was prohibited. Why? I teach people fly-fishing and I can see, that this method is very easy to learn and brings fun to everybody, as it is light, sensitive and natural. Why we limit development of fine and natural fly fishing methods?
3) Micro-rings
This is never-ending story. Everybody knows, that even 100 micro-rings on your leader don´t help you catch any fish, it is not additional weight, their only effect is, that they save your time and money when you make new leader. Why they are prohibited?
I thing, that by this rules we don´t make problems to the best teams as they are able to adapt and win according all rules, this rules make problems to less professional teams. Is it fair?
In my opinion, the biggest problem is, that rules are discussed and agreed during congresses, where are generally attended mostly by people which never hold fly fishing rod in hand. I thing, that the best place to discus and create rules which will be useful are the world championships, where are presented best anglers and captains and managers of teams. Expert meeting aimed on rules and development of our wonderful sport could be included to championships instead of „conservation symposium“ in which nobody is usually interested.
I hope that you will not thing that I have nothing to do and therefore I write this „essays“. But I was thinking about this topic whole day as I obtained relatively strong reaction to original report from Paul.
I was today in Frymburk to discuss organisation of the championship and we are preparing the application forms which will be published by the end of February, we have to only clarify some more possibilities in accommodation.
See you in three months
Milan Hladík
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5 Responses to My personal opinion on some competition rules
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i agree totaly
Thanks Milan. Most of the anglers I’ve talked to agree with you whole heartedly. The congress is trying to do everything they can to limit the effectiveness of new and improved methods that are the hallmark of greatness that competition brings to our sport. We should embrace the innovation that competitive anglers have brought to our sport. How is it not fly fishing just because an angler’s leader is long or he has knots less than 30 cm apart in his leader? It should be anglers and captains that contribute to the rules. Not a „congress“ with representatives that haven’t competed in many years if ever.
Hi all, I hope these my next words will not disturb nobody of FM board…
I absolutely agree with Milan and he knows very well that we was discused about it many many times. It is not secret that a lot of these words are from my mouth 🙂 I presented all these opinions many times few years ago. As I remeber well… In congress where I got banned participation in WFFC and EFFC, because I was personally very dissatisfied with the course of WFFC in Italy and when many of the captains and managers of world teams had expressed their agreement with my opinions… So, in this congress where the FM board tried again to change a few rules (about leaders, knots, fly lines, flies, etc.) was agreed that these important rules must be assessed by competent persons, which are really only a captains and team managers who are competing and who knows what is fly fishing competition… And with all due respect to the delegates of each fishing unions the delegates are not the right persons for these decisions unfortunately. This was agreed and never happened unfortunately. Members of FM board in contrary to this agreement shall always asserted its opinions to the Rules Modifications for every other championships without any content applicable to the official International Rules , ie . without the clear approval agreed during any congress. Now in last congress was all these rules agreed by the delegates, but I am still convinced without any agreement of persons which are participating in any championships…
I think it is time to say that our competition rules are for competitors and FM board persons are people which are elected by members of FM and they are the people who should defend the interests of the competitors and not to be cut off in their opinions from the vast majority of us.
I hope that these words of mine repeatedly not waking up hysteria around my person, but instead will understand the situation and FM will at least address the comments of us as competitors, captains and managers of the world teams.
In this moments the competition fly fishing is still more and more far away from modern and effective fly fishing methods which are using by the fly fishermans in whole world. And every clever fly fisherman knows very well that the world, european or commonwealth competitions is not possible to win just with a nymphing methods long leader used… Amazing example was last European championship in Slovakia where was really important to perfect know how to catch fish for dry fly… Members of Spain team can explain to everybody their experiences… I am sorry for my english, I hope it is understandable for You.
Regards to all
Martin Musil
CZ national team manager
Totally agree with all of you . Martin you nailed it .
Milan,
Rules! Gah!
Your assessment is the most logical and beautifully simple way of doing away with all the complication that is blighting our fabulous sport.
Creativity and tactical ingenuity have been the cornerstones of what we do for generations. Why stop this creative flow now, because of micro rule changes, often based on nothing more, than tiny jealousies
Frankly, it is why many of us shun competition, preferring to be „free spirits“ in a fabulous waterscape, where only the river and the fish determine the rules!
Every success in the coming weeks.
Kind regards,
Charles