national certification scheme

Whether we like it or not times are changing, the days of innocence are being lost.  No longer can we take the kids next door fishing without being vetted by some government agency, no longer can we meet as a group with a single interest without risk assessment or liability insurance. Years ago I taught Venture Scouts climbing and caving and at a recent reunion it was obvious that I wouldn’t even be allowed to make the tea these days without jumping through the many hoops that now exist.
 
It would appear that in the very near future an individual will not be able to instruct or teach the art of fly tying without some form of nationally recognized qualification.  I suspect your reaction is similar to mine and shouldn’t actually appear in print but it will happen and, as a direct result, liability insurance and access to public buildings will be denied if compliance is not forthcoming.

We could sit around and moan about our lot or we can choose to be proactive in our future and that of the FDG and turn this Sword of Damocles into something rather positive.

Last year an accreditation scheme was piloted by the Ringwood Branch. The FDG is a training organization and has many unsung heroes at branch level, and these are the ones that pass on skills and knowledge, let us recognize and support them in the years to come.

• There are three levels of certification, that of Bronze, Silver and Gold.  Branches demonstrating a structured approach to teaching beginners through to advanced will receive “Full Branch” status.  Additionally a “Full Branch” will receive an annual payment from the FDG in recognition of this status and its continued support.  To gain “Full Branch” status 100% membership of the national body (The FDG) must be maintained.  Payments to such branches will be calculated annually and at a rate to be determined by the Executive.

 

Should a participating branch sell a starter kit (materials, tools, book and membership) to a tyro then the branch will receive £7.50 in payment.  Payment (rebate) for membership will be £2 per member per annum.  I suggest that the rebate is deducted by the branch should they collect payment.  Should a member join via the web site then the branch needs to apply for payment via the membership secretary.  For clarification, a new member that joins a branch and buys a starter kit will entitle the branch to a payment of £7.50 for the year; if they do not opt for the kit then a payment of £2 will be received for the year and each year for as long as that member remains a member of that branch.  Should a member belong to two or more branches he or she must nominate a one branch to receive payment.  

 

• There will be one committee of assessors consisting of :-

 

No less than four assessors.  All assessors will be members of the FDG and assessment will take place at a location and time agreed by the committee (of assessors) but assessment will occur on no less than on a quarterly basis. Their decision will be final in all matters concerning the standards.

• Each participating branch will be requested to nominate an instructor or instructors who will act as mentor(s) for the applicants and advise as to their suitability to submit entries. The branch instructor(s) will also authenticate the entries thus ensuring fair play.

 

• Members of The FDG who are not members of a Branch will contact the Guild Secretary and will be informed of their nearest two instructors so that private arrangements can be made to ensure authentication.

• Successful candidates will receive an inscribed certificate and lists of successful candidates will be featured regularly in the Flydresser and on the web site.

 

• The Bronze Standard will be administrated by the branch and should be considered as a method of preparing a tyro in the skills required to continue in the direction of Silver and ultimately Gold standards.  Although administered at branch level the standard will be recognized at national level and the appropriate awards will be given.

• For the Silver Standard each candidate will submit two examples of each of the following flies:- nymph, lure, wet fly, hackled dry fly.

 

• For the Gold Standard each candidate will submit two examples of each of the following:- nymph, lure, wet fly, winged dry fly, hair winged fly, married wing salmon fly.

• As an indication of the standard required for each level it is not thought likely that any fly dresser with less than two years' experience would achieve the standard required for the Silver Standard.

 

• Candidates are reminded that the committee (of assessors) will be looking for the overall proportions of the fly, neatness of finish and the correct use of materials throughout. It is vital that current laws, Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 and CITES regulations are observed concerning materials.

 

 

General notes for branches and instructors.

We have a lot of willing members that give their time to teach others the art of fly dressing.  In the main, this vital function of the FDG goes unnoticed and the Executive wish to address this anomaly.

The participating branches will put forward an instructor or instructors, these individuals will be recognized within the FDG as instructors and as the courses and training offered by branches increases then meetings will be organized for the branch instructors with the aims of training improvement and national recognition via the introduction of an Instructors Panel.

We wish to put funds back into each branch that participates and give long overdue support to those actively involved in teaching tyros and beyond.

When you lodge your syllabus with us we will collate and maintain a generic template from all of those submitted.  This will help other branches that wish to become involved in the scheme but are not yet as advanced as others.  Don’t worry if you are not happy with your working syllabus we can help you as much or as little as you want.  This is a bottom up exercise not a top down one, the branches are the trainers of current and future members, not the Executive!

Once you have a formalized training programme in place we can then assess your branch for status as “Full Branch”.  This is basically a branch that has a formalized training programme and enforces 100% membership to the FDG of all members of that branch.

Syllabus

I have been fortunate enough to see the training notes of Sussex, Ringwood and Lindsey Piscatorials and I suspect there are many more out there of a similar quality.  Although the presentation style may be different the standard of content is very high and minimal work should be required to turn these (typical) notes into a syllabus by the addition of aims and objectives.  Please bear in mind that the aims and objectives of tying a particular fly may be obvious to an experienced individual it most certainly is not to the tyro.  By inclusion into the training notes the aims and objectives spell out the route and time scales as well as the whys and wherefores of fly dressing.

Who will make this work?

In a word, instructors!  For this initiative to be successful the national and branch committees must support the appointed instructors.  I think it would fair to say that our instructors must be good at what they are doing otherwise we wouldn’t have a successful branch network, the membership would vote with their feet. 

 

It is strongly believed that recognition of our many volunteer instructors is long overdue and we propose that the position of FDG Instructor be recognized at a national level and this will be achieved though the participating branch committees with the support of the executive.

Appointed instructors will receive an instructors certificate and badge as shown above. The other badges are for (left to right) Bronze, Silver and Gold. These will also be accompanied by a certificate.

 

Ian Fazakerley
Membership

05th September 2009