European Fly Fishing Association

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The European Fly Fishing Association (EFFA), founded in 2006, is an association based in Switzerland . It is an international fly fishing organization .

Goals and Activities

Members from more than 20 European countries are currently affiliated with EFFA. The aim of the organization is to make fly fishing more popular and to attract as many anglers as possible to this type of fishing. In the long term, the EFFA would also like to make the concerns of fly fishermen more heard, to point out the destruction or problems of waters or their need for protection and to support fly fishermen with information in various areas. The EFFA has set up an extensive certification program, which is developed by some of the most famous fly fishing experts in Europe and which serves to raise the level of fly fishing instructors and thus further develop fly fishing in Europe. The requirements of the EFFA certification program are considered to be extremely demanding in a global comparison. The following certifications are currently offered by the organization:

  • EFFA Certified Flycasting Instructor (aka EFFA instructor)
  • EFFA Certified Master Flycasting Instructor (aka EFFA Master instructor)
  • EFFA Certified Double Hand Flycasting Instructor (aka EFFA Double Hand instructor)
  • EFFA Certified Flyfishing Guide (aka EFFA Guide)

Another main concern of the organization is to strengthen the status of European fly fishing and especially of fly casting in an international context. Although most of the throwing techniques used around the world have their origins in Europe, their origins are now being watered down more and more by the activities of numerous Internet forums. Every fly fisherman, fly tyer and prospective instructor is welcome in the organization.

history

The American Federation of Fly Fishers (FFF) started a program for fly fishing instructors in the early 1990s, which, however, was not very popular in Europe due to the low level and was not accepted. The different training levels in the field of fly fishing in Europe and the USA had therefore made an examination program for fly fishing instructors that was tailored to European conditions necessary. After a conversation between the founding member and EFFA Honorary President Günter Feuerstein and the then Flycasting Chairman of the FFF, Tom Travis, in Livingston (Montana) in 1995, the FFF gave the green light.

Own certification program for European fly fishing instructors

In 1996 the FFF-Europe Flycasting Instructor Certification Program (FFF-Europe FCICP) was founded in partnership with the FFF based in the USA. The Affiliation Agreement stipulated that no American exams could be held in Europe and vice versa. The European examination program should be able to act independently in all respects. Only one symbolic dollar per member went to the USA in order to be able to use the trademarks of the FFF. An organization as a European association and thus a membership for common fly fishermen could not be implemented, however, because according to the will of the American FFF in Europe it was only allowed to work autonomously in the area of ​​the examination program (FFF-Europe FCICP).

The FFF-Europe fly fishing instructor program developed steadily in the following years, instructors from 12 European countries had meanwhile passed the world's most demanding test. In 2006, the people in charge of the FFF-Europe FCICP were informed that the American FFF now also want to claim European territory for themselves and, once it has taken over, the European instructors want to equate their American colleagues who have been tested for significantly lower levels. In the event of non-compliance, the European partners would be deprived of the right to use the name FFF and its insignia. In plain language, this meant that, according to the will of the Americans in Europe, in the future only exams at the American level would be permitted and all funds collected for this, as well as the additional FFF full memberships and fees for certificate renewals, would flow into the USA. Since the European instructors could not support the loss of their independence or supervision by the USA and the assumption of the FFF levels or the transfer of European funds to the states was out of the question, the partnership was established with great approval of the FFF Europe instructors ended with the FFF.

Foundation of the European Fly Fishing Association (EFFA)

In 2006, the independent European Fly Fishing Association (EFFA), based in Switzerland, was founded in order to continue the successful and independent work of the former FFF-Europe and at the same time to become active in all other important areas of fly fishing, including water protection . The aim was to represent the interests of fly fishermen on a broad and international level and to promote fly fishing.

Two-handed instructor program and guide program

In 2010, in addition to the already proven one-hand instructor program and the master’s program, the two-hand instructor program was completed. The following year, the certification program for fly fishing guides was launched in cooperation with Hedmark University College in Elverum (NOR) . This means that for the first time an international fly fishing organization can offer training in all relevant areas.

EFFA Open - International Fly Tying Championship

The organization is also active in the field of fly tying . With the EFFA Open, an international fly tying championship was brought into being, which is open to all fly tiers around the world and which will in future choose the best fly tiers every year.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ , Technico di Lancio Totale - TLT ( Memento of the original from September 17, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.tltacademy.it
  2. ↑ Federation of Fly Fishers (FFF)
  3. ↑ EFFA Open