FFI CI Performance Exam 2025 on HookedLee

Narrow loops on forward and back casts

example@example.com (HookedLee) — Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

The task

Casting 40 ft (12.2 m), demonstrate a minimum of six false casts with narrow loops on both the forward and back casts.

Required performance standards

General performance standards apply to every task — narrow loops (≤ 4 ft, measured 3–4 ft back from the nose), a straight fly leg, loops similar front and back and approximately in-plane, a line and leader that unroll completely, no ticking, and slow to medium line speed. See the exam overview for the full list.

General performance standards only.

How to pass it

Six false casts is a minimum, not a target — cast eight or ten so the examiner can see a settled, repeating loop.
The initial back cast loop is assessed: pick the line up cleanly instead of easing into the rhythm.
Loops must be no more than 4 ft (1.22 m) wide, measured 3–4 ft back from the nose, with a straight fly leg and similar size front and back.
Keep rod speed slow to medium. Rushing this task is the most common way to lose it.
Work on grass or still water so a tick cannot creep in during the pick-up.

Drills

Count the false casts out loud — six minimum, keep counting while you check loop shape.
Film from directly behind: check the loops sit one above the other and stay in-plane.
Lay a 40 ft tape and false cast over it, then check where the loop nose drifts as you add casts.
Practise the pick-up on its own: lift, pause, then start the false-cast rhythm.

Wide loops on forward and back casts

example@example.com (HookedLee) — Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

The task

Casting 40 ft (12.2 m), demonstrate wide loops on both forward and back casts. Start by false casting narrow loops. After several false casts, announce your intent to cast wide loops, both front and back, which must begin on the next forward cast and continue for several false casts.

Required performance standards

The wide loops must exceed the width of the narrow loops by at least approximately 3 ft (0.91 m) and may have a convex fly leg.
The fly line and leader are not required to unroll completely or be relatively straight.

How to pass it

Announce first, then change on the next forward cast — the change must be deliberate and visible, not gradual.
Open the loop by widening the casting arc and/or softening force application; a convex fly leg is allowed here.
Keep the wide loops consistent in size once you have made the change; several false casts means several, not one.
Still avoid ticking, and keep the rod speed slow to medium.
Be ready to explain what you changed — the exam expects explanations to match the demonstration.

Drills

Alternate narrow / wide in blocks of three false casts, saying the intent out loud each time.
Use two visual references (rod lengths apart) to calibrate how wide ‘3 ft wider’ actually looks.
Film front and back loops separately: the back-cast wide loop is usually the weaker one.

Demonstrate a tailing loop and name its cause

example@example.com (HookedLee) — Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

The task

Casting 40 ft (12.2 m), demonstrate a tailing loop on a forward cast. Start by false casting narrow loops. After several false casts, announce your intent to cast a tailing loop, which must be done on the next forward cast and which ends the demonstration. You must tell the examiners which of the two common caster actions that result in tailing loops (improper force application and/or a casting arc that is too narrow) you used.

Required performance standards

The fly leg must cross the rod leg in a manner that can be seen easily.
The tailing loop must result from concavity of the rod tip path caused primarily by one of the two common caster actions: improper force application and/or a casting arc that is too narrow.
The fly line and leader are not required to unroll completely or be relatively straight.

How to pass it

Decide in advance which cause you will demonstrate, and say it as you cast — the announcement is part of the task.
Make the crossing obvious: a small tail that nobody can see does not satisfy the standard.
Produce it from a concave rod tip path, not by collapsing the cast into a pile.
Finish the demonstration on that forward cast; the task ends there.
Be able to explain the two causes and how each makes the tip path concave.

Drills

Rehearse both causes separately: a force spike on the forward stroke, then a deliberately narrow arc.
Film the loop from the side so you can see the fly leg cross the rod leg.
Practise saying the cause out loud in one sentence while the loop is still unrolling.

Reach mend without slipping line, then with slipping line

example@example.com (HookedLee) — Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

The task

Starting with the fly at 40 ft (12.2 m), demonstrate a reach mend without slipping line, then a second reach mend with slipping line. You will be asked to explain the uses of the two mends. The lead examiner specifies the direction of the first reach mend (left or right); the second must be performed in the opposite direction.

Required performance standards

The final rod position must be nearly 90 degrees to the tape.
The fly line and leader must land in a nearly straight line from the fly to the rod tip.
The fly must reach nearly 40 ft (12.2 m) when slipping line.
The fly must land within approximately 2 ft (0.6 m) of either side of the tape.
You may use the line hand for slipping line.

How to pass it

Two things are being examined: the reach (rod position ~90° to the tape, straight line to the fly) and the slip (holding the fly at distance while you mend).
Without slip, the fly comes back towards you — that is the point; with slip, the fly stays at about 40 ft.
Watch the direction call: first mend one way, second the other.
Be ready to explain when each version is useful — for example mending to a fish at distance without pulling the fly away, versus a quick mend with a short line.
Keep the line and leader straight on the water after landing; a curved landing costs the standard.

Drills

Lay a tape at 40 ft and practise both mends to left and right, checking rod angle and fly position.
Practise the slip with the line hand: feed line as the rod reaches, then stop.
Say the use of each mend in one sentence while the line is still on the water.

A cast that produces a slack line presentation

example@example.com (HookedLee) — Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

The task

Casting 40 ft (12.2 m), demonstrate a cast that produces a slack line presentation. The fly must land at about 20 ft to 30 ft (6.1–9.1 m). Elliptical (Belgian/Gebetsroither) casts are allowed.

Required performance standards

The leader does not have to be straight, but the fly must land ahead of the fly line.
The slack line presentation must result exclusively from the cast.
Mending is not allowed.

How to pass it

The slack must come from the cast — an aerial curve, a check, or an elliptical delivery all qualify; a mend afterwards does not.
Land the fly ahead of the fly line, at 20–30 ft. The leader can be curved, the line should be slack.
Aim for controlled, even slack — a heap of line in one place is not the same as a slack-line presentation.
Elliptical casts are explicitly allowed for this task, so use one if that is your reliable method.
Keep the loop assessable; slack does not excuse a collapsed or ticking cast.

Drills

Practise curve casts and check-casts to 20, 25 and 30 ft.
Film from above to see whether the slack lands evenly or in a bunch.
Rehearse with and without the elliptical option and pick the one that repeats.

Aerial mend producing a series of waves

example@example.com (HookedLee) — Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

The task

Casting 40 ft (12.2 m), demonstrate an aerial mend that produces a presentation with a series of waves in the line.

Required performance standards

Waves must be similar in size and shape, aligned in the direction of the cast, and evenly distributed throughout the fly line.
Waves must be a minimum of approximately 2 ft (0.6 m) wide from point to point and must have at least 3 points.
The leader must be reasonably straight.

How to pass it

Shape the waves with a horizontal, serpentine movement of the rod tip while the line is still aerial — not with a mend after landing.
At least three points and 2 ft between points: make the waves big enough to be counted from behind.
Keep the waves even and aligned with the cast; one big wave and two small ones fails the ‘similar in size and shape’ standard.
The leader still has to be reasonably straight, which is the hardest part — finish the cast cleanly.
Keep rod speed slow to medium and the loop assessable.

Drills

Practise the aerial wiggle on grass, counting points aloud.
Vary the number of waves and find the count you can reproduce every time.
Lay the line down and measure point-to-point distance until 2 ft becomes automatic.

False casting from vertical to horizontal plane

example@example.com (HookedLee) — Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

The task

Casting 40 ft (12.2 m), demonstrate a series of false casts beginning with the rod in the near vertical plane and progressing to the horizontal plane over a series of 6 to 8 false casts. Make at least two false casts at each plane. You may change the rod plane on either the forward or the back cast.

Required performance standards

General performance standards only.
The in-plane requirement is relaxed while the rod plane is being changed.

How to pass it

Two false casts at each plane is the minimum — work through at least three planes (near vertical, 45°, near horizontal).
Make each plane change deliberate and readable; the examiner must be able to see which plane you are in.
You may change plane on either cast, but be consistent in how you do it.
Keep loops controlled through the transition — the relaxation on in-plane loops does not excuse a wide or sloppy loop.
Watch for ticking at the low planes, where the line is closest to the ground.

Drills

Run the ladder drill: three false casts vertical, three at 45°, three horizontal, then back up.
Film from behind so the planes are obvious.
Practise at 40 ft with a tape so you keep the same carry throughout.

Slow, medium and fast false casting

example@example.com (HookedLee) — Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

The task

Casting 40 ft (12.2 m), demonstrate slow, medium and fast false casting. Start at slow line speed; after at least two false casts announce your intent to change to medium, which must begin on the next forward cast and continue for at least two false casts; then announce the change to fast, again beginning on the next forward cast and continuing for at least two false casts.

Required performance standards

There must be an obvious difference in line speed between slow, medium and fast false casting.

How to pass it

Two false casts at each speed, each change announced and starting on the next forward cast.
The difference must be obvious — small increases will not read as three distinct speeds.
Be prepared to explain the changes in the five essentials relevant to this task (in particular force application and timing).
Keep loops controlled as speed rises; fast does not mean wide or tailing.
Slow means genuinely slow with a straight fly leg — not a stalled or collapsing loop.

Drills

Use a count or metronome for each speed and hold it for three casts.
Film and compare loop shapes at the three speeds.
Rehearse the five-essentials explanation out loud while casting at medium speed.

Narrow and wide loop roll casts

example@example.com (HookedLee) — Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

The task

Casting 40 ft (12.2 m), demonstrate narrow loop and wide loop roll casts. The D-loop must be formed slowly enough that the line does not leave the surface and stops moving backwards prior to the forward cast. The D-loop must not extend more than one arm plus one rod length behind you. Stepping forward or backward during formation of the D-loop is not permitted.

Required performance standards

The wide loop may have a convex fly leg.
The fly line and leader are not required to unroll completely or be relatively straight for the wide loop roll cast.
The differences in size and shape of the narrow and wide loops must be sufficient to be obvious to a student.

How to pass it

Slow the D-loop right down and let the line stop moving backwards before the forward cast — this is the single most common failure in the roll-cast tasks.
Keep the D-loop inside one arm plus one rod length behind you; measure it once in practice so you know what that feels like.
Do not step forward or backward while forming the D-loop.
The difference between narrow and wide must be obvious to a student — that is the standard, so make it big.
If you are on water, remember the 180 degree principle and a clean anchor.

Drills

D-loop timing drill: form, pause, count one second, then deliver.
Mark an arm-plus-rod length behind you and check the D-loop against it.
Alternate narrow and wide deliveries, three of each, on grass with a simulated anchor.

Off-side narrow loop roll cast

example@example.com (HookedLee) — Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

The task

Casting 40 ft (12.2 m), demonstrate an off-side narrow loop roll cast. The D-loop must be formed slowly enough that the line does not leave the surface and stops moving backwards prior to the forward cast. The D-loop must not extend more than one arm plus one rod length behind you. Stepping forward or backward during formation of the D-loop is not permitted. The entire task must be performed off-side.

Required performance standards

The entire task must be performed off-side.
The off-side definition is given in the General Information section: for a right-hand-dominant caster, the rod tip is to the observer’s left of your head, viewed from behind on the caster–target line. Bending at the waist is allowed; the non-dominant hand may not be used.

How to pass it

Everything about this task is off-side — the D-loop, the delivery and the loop shape.
Bending at the waist is allowed and is usually the easiest way to get the rod off-side while keeping the dominant hand.
Do not switch hands; using the non-dominant hand is explicitly excluded.
Keep the same D-loop discipline as Task 9: slow formation, line on the surface, stopped before the forward cast.
Keep the delivery loop narrow and in-plane.

Drills

Off-side repetitions with a mirror or video to check the rod tip really is on the off-side.
Waist-bend mobility work, then the same roll cast from the off-side position.
Alternate on-side and off-side roll casts to feel the difference.