Tracy&James | Wednesday, 18 February 2026
t's not long before James and I fly to Spain for our first fly casting competition of 2026. Today we've been practising for some of the events – mainly the ST27, which is my favourite event and the 'lake distance' one that is a special comp for the Spanish Meeting. This uses the same rod, but the fly line is a long head tournament line designed for us by our friend Steve from Celestial lines. It makes the ST27 line feel so light even though it's actually a #7. I'm finding there are subtle differences in how to cast the two different lines but using the same rod and my style of cast. With the longer line I need to flop my wrist more as I need a wider arc for a bigger carry and I have to shoot a small amount of line into my false cast. Whereas the the ST27 I pick up, hold the carry and do a hard stop with a little pull-back. Today has been purely a technique day as the wind was mild to nothing, however it was lovely to have a little sun in such cold conditions. There are forecasts of snow as the temperature drops over tonight.
I also did a little practice of accuracy today as we had hardly any wind. It's the first time since the last BFCC event in October that I have cast at accuracy targets. I found hitting the targets OK, however it's quite wearing on my hand and arm, so could only practice for a short time. It's clearly something I need to practice more to build up the stamina so I don't get so achy. Although maybe it was because I had been casting distance for so much, that my arm was tired due to that. Or it could be due to the unwanted ganglion that has arisen in my right hand and is causing me pain and discomfort when I grip. It's annoying me more and more so I think I'm going to have to get it drained – though this will most likely be done 'privately' as if I go through the NHS, I will probably have to wait for a year or so.
Our casting practice days have been rare recently due to the very wet weather we have had, also the ground is sodden, so is very muddy and slippy. A few years ago, we did a few winter practice sessions on our nearby beach, however it got a bit tricky trying to avoid the many dogs that were being 'walked' off their leads.
I have yet to organise the BFCC competition days for 2026 and currently have only dates for country shows and game fairs that we will support in June and July. Hopefully I'll sort out a few dates before James and I go on our Bahamas holiday, perhaps with Dodleston, Cheshire being the first in early May. I am aiming to avoid planning any BFCC meetings for August due to the World Champs, however as we have no confirmed details about the venue, accommodation, entry fees, costs, etc, I am starting to wonder if the ICSF are actually going to run it. The fact that they consider it reasonable to request money from the casting countries without providing any confirmed arrangements is pretty inconsiderate of them. I would love to compete at the Worlds in Italy but before I commit, I really need to know how much it is going to cost as if it is comparable with a saltwater fishing holiday, then I may rethink my options.
Cheers
Tracy