The Geelong Fly Fishing Club will welcome fly casters from across the state when it hosts the Australian Casting Federation’s (ACF) Victorian Fly Casting Championships this weekend.
Held at the Geelong Casting Pool at Barwon Valley Park in Belmont on Sunday, July 23 between 9.30am and 3pm, the event features three accuracy events and three distance events.
Competitors will vie for awards for both disciplines as well as the title of Victorian Champion for the aggregate top scorer across all events.
Geelong Fly Fishing Club member and ACF vice president Ron Heath encouraged members of the public to wander down, watch the event and speak to club members if they were interested in taking up the sport.
“We’re always encouraging people to come down and have a look,” Mr Heath said.
“We always get people having a look and asking questions about it, and I always find that if they’re interested enough to come and ask questions they might just come along and try it.”
Mr Heath has represented Australia at the sport’s world championships and is currently the official casting coach for the ACF.
He said fly casting was a fantastic sport for people of all ages and one that would improve anyone’s fishing.
“I’ve been fly fishing since about 1967, and (involved in competition) since about 1970; a long time,” Mr Heath said.
“It’s all about the camaraderie. I’m 80 years old and I still enjoy it. It’s all about catching up, having a chat and talking a bit of rubbish; that’s what most fishermen do.”
The club will also host the national championships in Geelong on August 20.
