BEGINNING & INTERMEDIATE CASTING CLASSES
CATCH MORE FISH WITH BETTER CASTS
FREE FLY TYING CLASSES-FAMILIES WELCOME
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MAXINE McCORMICK
Sunday April 19, 2026, 9 am to 4 pm
Pickering Barn Park, ISSAQUAH WA
Maxine McCormick has been fly fishing for as long as she can remember thanks to her dad. By chance, she was introduced to competitive fly casting at the age of nine and since then she has attended three World Fly Casting Championships winning seven gold medals in both accuracy and distance events. At the 2022 World Championships in Norway she took home four gold medals while winning all of the single handed fly casting events. Her perfect accuracy result was the highest score ever recorded at the World Championships for male or female participants. She set a single hand fly distance record in the Women’s Sea Trout event.
Maxine believes that the skills she developed while tournament casting has resulted in more confidence, success and fun on the water while fishing. She looks forward to sharing her efficient casting stroke with you and hopes it will improve your casting and fishing too. What Maxine loves most about casting and fly fishing is that there is always more to learn and how good you are is a direct product of how much practice you put in.
There is more!
The Washington State Council of FFI will hold a Fly Casting Fair Sunday April 19th, at Picking Farm located in Issaquah Washington. The day-long event will offer Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced, Women Casting and Spey Classes. There will be a free Walk-in Casting clinic and Casting Skills Development Course led by FFI certified instructors. Please bring your own equipment. Except for the Spey Class, the recommended rod is 9ft 5wt. You have 7.5′ of leader with a yarn fly attached. We will have a minimum number of loaner rods. The WSCFFI highly recommends that you wear a hat and sunglasses or other protective eyewear. Sunscreen is recommended.
For the best experience, register for one of the following 90-minute casting classes:
Beginning Fly Casting Classes
Whether your brand new to fly fishing or looking to strengthen your fundamentals, these friendly, supportive sessions will set you up for success in your fly-casting journey.
Morning Class, 9 am, $40, 10 participants
In this hands-on introductory class, FFI certified casting instructors Steve Hiller and Matthew Jockers will guide participants through the essential skills needed to build a solid foundation in fly casting. Working at 30-40 foot targets, students will learn how the fly cast works, how to manage line effectively, and how to create efficient loops using proper grip, stance, and stroke mechanics.
The session covers three core casting skills:
- Pick-Up and Lay-Down Cast—the fundamental stroke for delivering the fly with control and minimal slack.
- Overhead/False Casting—how to maintain line in the air, adjust trajectory, and prepare for accurate delivery.
- Accuracy Casting—how to aim, refine loop shape, and make on-target presentations from both dominant and non-dominant sides.
Through demonstrations, guided practice, and simple drills, participants will gain practical skills they can use immediately on the water. The class concludes with a review of key concepts and personal takeaways to help reinforce learning.
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There is still more!!
Fly Tying Activities
Have you ever wanted to learn to tie a fly? If so, do we have an offer for you! Join us in the “barn” for the Wooley Bugger Challenge. We will have several tying station setups with very skilled instructors who will help you tie a Wooley Bugger, the fly for all species of fish. All are welcome! Now for the exciting part, everyone that tries to tie a fly will be given a raffle ticket for a chance to win a vise, the required tools, and a little material to start on a journey which can lead to a lifetime obsession.
But wait, that is not all! For those who do tie flies and need a little assistance, we will have a Skills Development Tablewhere you can ask one of the FFI’s many skilled tiers how to do “whatever”. Married wings? No problem! Making a dubbing loop? No problem! Tying on Bronze Mallard? Maybe a problem, just kidding! In addition, everyone who visits the Skills Development Table will be entered into a drawing for several fly tying capes!
Wait, there’s more. Several skilled tiers will be demonstrating their skills and answering your questions. They will be tying a wide assortment of flies. This is where
you can see some of the best tiers in Pacific Northwest. You will not be disappointed!
And finally, everyone who joins the FFI’s Fly Tying Group at this event, we will send you, via the mail, a fly tying cape. One lucky person will receive at least 3 capes!
Register Now!