IFFF FLY TYING GROUP Fly Tying Skills Awards Program
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FLY TYI NG GROUP ® IFFF FLY TYING GROUP Fly Tying Skills Awards Program Produced by the International Federation of Fly Fishers, Fly Tying Group as an adaptation of the Guild Awards Scheme of the UK Fly Dresser’s Guild. Why an IFFF Fly Tying Skills Award Program? The International Federation of Fly Fishers (IFFF) Fly Ting Group exists to preserve, enhance and support the art of fly tying. Our focus generally is two-fold: sharing of information and teaching, so that more people may take an interest in our craft, and become more knowledgeable and accomplished tiers. The purpose of the IFFF Fly Tying Group is as follows: “The FTG is dedicated to the preservation, enhancement and support of the art of fly tying as a historic element of the fly-fishing experience. Archiving of historic documents, development of educational and instructional materials, teaching and demonstration are fundamental to perpetuating the art of fly tying for anglers who fish with the artificial fly.” For individuals to improve as tiers, they need to be able to measure their progress. The IFFF Fly Tying Skills Awards Program provides IFFF members with the opportunity to develop or reinforce their fly tying skills and test their progress against a consistent standard at three levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold. Program Overview and Goals This IFFF Fly Tying Skills Awards Program is an educational program for all IFFF members who care to take part. The Awards Program is managed for and on behalf of the IFFF by the Fly Tying Group. The goal of the Awards Program is to encourage IFFF members to develop and improve their fly tying skills at their own pace, through a structured learning plan with progressive goals, and in so doing contribute to the purpose of the FTG. The Program is meant to be informative, enjoyable and encourage camaraderie and co- operation amongst those taking part. In addition, it can also assist clubs and instructors in the planning and delivering of courses. There are three levels of awards: Bronze, Silver and Gold. Each level develops a series of techniques, with subsequent levels building on previous ones. A Gold Level award signifies a highly accomplished fly tier, capable of demonstrating excellent application of a wide range of materials and techniques on a consistent basis across a variety of patterns. In the process of this Gold Award Program a tier will use many important fly tying techniques and learn a number of effective fly patterns. These Gold Award patterns and techniques build upon the techniques and patterns incorporated in the Bronze and Silver Award Programs. Upon successful completion of the Gold Award program tiers will receive an IFFF Gold Fly Tying Award Certificate, an IFFF Gold Award Pin, and the accomplishment will be recognized in the IFFF Fly Tying Group Newsletter and on the IFFF Website. 1 IFFF Natural Materials Policy Fly tiers should be aware that specific state, federal and international laws apply to the legal possession, transportation and use of natural materials (i.e. feathers and furs) for tying flies. Laws of particular application are the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (1918), Marine Mammal Protection Act (1972) and Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (1975). These and similar state and federal laws generally were established to protect certain species from commercial trade and exploitation that could threaten survival in the wild, but they each include provisions for authorization of allowable take (i.e. possession, transportation, sale and purchase) where such take is consistent with conservation of those species. Fly tiers can protect themselves with a general awareness of these laws, but most importantly, by only purchasing the natural materials they possess and transport for use in tying flies from reputable and authorized sources. This is particularly important when transporting natural materials across international borders. Therefore, it is the policy of the International Federation of Fly Fishers (IFFF) that fly tiers who are invited to teach or demonstrate fly tying at IFFF events possess at those events only those natural materials that are in full compliance with applicable laws regarding possession, transportation, sale and purchase for any purpose. Acknowledgements This American adaptation of the UK Fly Dressers’ Guild Awards Scheme was made possible thru the cooperation and international outreach of both the IFFF and the UK Fly Dressers’ Guild. Our thanks go to Chairman Charles Jardine, General Secretary Chris Reeves and the many others who have worked so hard on this project. The American adaptation of the Fly Tying Skill Awards Program is the work of the IFFF Fly Tying Group and the Committee members who contributed: Al and Gretchen Beatty, Chuck Collins, Jim Ferguson, Frank Johnson, Gene Kaczmarek, Tom Logan, David Roberts, Paul Beckmann and Leslie Wrixon. This program is a credit to the entire Board of Governors of the IFFF Fly Tying Group. Adapted by the International Federation of Fly Fishers with permission from The Fly Dressers Guild 2014 First Edition of IFFF Gold Award Handbook published 2016 For more information on The Fly Dressers’ Guild please visit our website: www.flydressersguild.org. 2 Contents Why an IFFF Fly Tying Skills Award Program? 1 Program Overview and Goals 1 IFFF Natural Materials Policy 2 Acknowledgements 2 Contents 3 Gold Award Program Requirements 4 How it Works – the Process Instructions 4 Instructions to the Gold Award Program Participant 4 Instructions to the Gold Award Program Evaluator 5 Instructions to the Gold Award Review Panel Member 5 Instructions to the IFFF Staff 5 Buz Buszek Memorial Fly Tying Award Introduction 6 Gold Award Evaluation Flies - General Information 7 Royal Wulff Dry Fly 8 Trout Fin Wet Fly 10 Rusty Rat Salmon/Steelhead Fly 12 Whitlock Matuka Sculpin 14 Prince of Tides Bendback Salt Water Fly 17 Orange Heron Steelhead Fly 19 No Hackle Dry Fly 21 Muddler Minnow 23 Lady Caroline Salmon/Steelhead Fly 25 Invicta Wet Fly 28 Humpy Dry Fly 30 Gray Ghost Streamer 32 General Practitioner Steelhead Fly 34 Cockroach Tarpon Fly 37 Gold Award Evaluation Scoring and Criteria Form 39 Gold Award Evaluation Fly Transmittal Form 56 3 Gold Award Program Requirements Participant must be an IFFF member. To receive the Gold Award and recognition it is necessary to follow the instructions outlined in “How it Works – the Process Instructions“. It is required that each tier complete both the Bronze and Silver Award Program before moving on to the Gold Award Program. Participation is entirely voluntary. No IFFF member or club is under any obligation to take part. How it Works – the Process Instructions Throughout this Handbook reference will be made to the ‘web site’. This is in reference to the IFFF Web Site, Fly Tying, and specifically IFFF Fly Tying Skills Award Program at: http://www.fedflyfishers.org/Tying/FlyTyingSkillsAwardProgram/tabid/647/Default.aspx This web address houses the Award Handbooks, instructions for all required evaluation flies, and all the necessary forms and instructions for completion of the Gold Award Program. Instructions to the Gold Award Program Participant: “Simply tie the flies.” Follow the instructions in this Gold Award Handbook. Note to left handed tiers: Please make a bold note on the Gold Award Evaluation Fly Transmittal Form that you tie “Left handed’. This information will help the evaluator correctly evaluate the flies. Contact a Gold Award Evaluator to confirm his/her availability to evaluate your flies and get the mailing address of the evaluator. All evaluators are listed on the web site. It is suggested you contact an evaluator near you. Throughout the process of the Gold Award the evaluator is the contact person if there are questions or items of concern to the tier. Tiers are encouraged to communicate with the evaluators at any time. It is also suggested tiers look at the Gold Award Evaluation Scoring and Criteria Form found on the web site and at the end of this handbook in order to become aware of what evaluators will be evaluating and fully understand the evaluation and scoring process. Mail the flies and the completed Gold Evaluation Fly Transmittal Form which is found on the web site and at the end of this handbook to the evaluator. We suggest the flies be mailed to the evaluator in a compartmented box that will fit into a padded mailer and mailed First Class Parcel Mail or by using a Small Flat Rate USPS box. The tiers name should be written on or affixed to the fly box. At the time the flies are sent to an evaluator the application fee of $90.00 may be paid one of two ways. Either email a completed Gold Evaluation Fly Transmittal Form to the IFFF office [email protected] and make a payment using a credit card at the IFFF Store found on the IFFF website, or mail a copy of the completed Transmittal Form along with a check to: International Federation of Fly Fishers; Fly Tying Group Department; 5237 U.S. Highway 89 South, Suite 11; Livingston, Montana 59047. Note: International tiers are required to pay by credit card. International checks will not be accepted. 4 The application fee is a non-refundable fee regardless of the outcome of the evaluation. It is the intent of the program that each applicant improve their skills and be awarded for this achievement; therefore, the evaluator may provide feedback and suggest resubmittal of any number of the flies for further evaluation. However, the process must be completed within 90 days from time of original application, at which time the application will expire. An applicant may submit a second complete application (must include flies, forms and fee) following expiration of the first application.