Mentoring

For Single Handed and Double Handed Rods

If you feel that you have reached a stage in your fly fishing life, and have achieved most of  what you wanted, you may now want to put something back into the  sport/pastime  that has given you a lot of pleasure.

It could be the depth of knowledge you have, helps you catch more than others, cast further, or deal with challenging conditions, you now want to share with others.

Is it that you find yourself  helping others and getting pleasure from their results, because of your direct input?

It could be that you are now a parent or grandparent and realise that the need to protect the future of what you do is to get involved, so future generations could benefit from this fantastic pastime.

Have you helped someone to improve their fly fishing skills but when you are asked a question you find yourself in a position that you cannot give a clear confident answer?

If any or all of the above applies to you, then it may be time to consider becoming a fly fishing instructor.

There are different organisations that are available to help you become an instructor. The one of your choice will probably depend on your location, one or two of your friends that may already be instructors and may offer advice as to which one to join. It could be as simple a decision, as walking around different Fly Fishing Shows and noticing which organisations are present and talking to the instructors there.

Some of the important things of being a qualified instructor is that you learn the value of teaching someone in a safe environment and have the umbrella of  an organisation that will help protect you and your student.

The mentoring process that is available is something that you should consider crucial in the journey that you are considering. Make sure your mentor has all the right qualifications and is up to date with the latest methods, terminology and can take you confidently through the latest syllabus, that you will be required to take.

More importantly, make sure you see more than one mentor.  If one of them is an assessor, that would be an advantage as he/she would know what is required for the examination process.  Give yourself ample time to practice and have willing fly fishers, so that you can also practice your teaching skills.

As an adjunct, you can enhance your instructor qualifications by becoming an ADB/UKCC Level 2 Coach (game angling). This particular route will make you aware the need for certain safety nets and background checks, so you can teach youngsters. This would give full confidence and assurance to parents. You will to learn about planning a session from a single student up to a large group. Having completed this course, I can confidently recommend its validity.

On the way to becoming an instructor you will come across many others that are going through the same process and those that have been successful. They will become friends and well informed colleagues that will deepen your appreciation of fly fishing. I guarantee you will have fun, so good luck and I look forward to seeing  you.