It is hard to get some information about how the casting was born. Based on facts we can find the fly fishing became popular recreation fishing in 19th century. More and more people wanted to learn about leading fly fishing line. Maybe because of that the request for training camps grew. People were seeking some trainer that would learn them how to work with fishing rod, how to lead the line without touching the water, how to lay fly down on desired place of river or how to cast far enough. There were fishing fairs with casting exhibitions. Very close to just make a competition among trainers or graduates and casting competitions became. We could imagine the beginning of casting sport like this way. We are sure about regular casting competition in America since 861. England followed America, first national competition took place in 1881. National competition of United States was in 1893.
Even fishing equipment manufactured promoted casting. It helped them to make their products better and thanks to the competition they were gaining attention of fishing people. It was not only about the fishing equipment but also about fishing clothes. But the equipment was important, manufactures were saying something like "hey look how our rod perfectly work in hands of excellent fisher".
First event were strictly based on fly fishing. As simulation of real fishing the competitions were closed the water. Targets were fixed to stay on water surface and casting was done from place above the surface. A doctor James A. Henshall, one of black bass hunting promoter via spinning fishing, prepared a competition as alternative to fly fishing so first spinning competition took place in 1884.
In Washington, D.C. a Lincoln Memorial Reflection Pool was built in 1922 and 1923. National casting club was preparing regular competitions there. In 1939 an event called "Fish-O" was very popular. It was a simulation of real hunt. During rules changes the name of event was changed to "Skish". It was some shortening of "skills of fishing". Well, this name is also often used for accuracy event nowadays.
In 1934, Mr. Marvin Hedge introduced a technique called "double-haul" at competition of ACA in St. Louis, Missouri. At demanded part of cast second hand pulled the line and made it fly faster thanks to bigger pressure on tip of rod. This technique was used in whole world later. It came to Czechia from German casters probably. We know it as "Doppel-Zug" and during time we started to call it "duplcuk". We can still see the technique at competitions.
Probably casters Jim Chapralis and Clare Bryan got idea to make casts more accurate via finger coming closer to reel spool and slowing down the speed of cast.
In 50s caster were replacing heavy metal spools with lighter aluminum spools. Even rod development was better and better, thanks to Jon Tarantino for example. We know him in Czechia but later about it.
About reels - we know about first multiplier reel from catalogue of English company Ustonson of 1760. Mr. Illingworth from England created first spinning reel in 1905.
Amount of American casters was growing so they got an idea to create a club. So in 1907 they established National Association of Scientific Angling Clubs (NASAC). During years it was renamed from NASAC to NAACC - National Association of Angling and Casting Clubs. Today it is known as theACA (American Casting Association).
From England and USA competitions came also to France, Norway or Germany. In Czechia we know about casting from German borderlands. Mr. Jaroslav Tejčka talked about casting in his book "Rybářský sport" in 1934. First unofficial competition was done in 1934 at area of Jindřichův Hradec. The reaction on report of this competition was huge and Jindřichův Hradec was asked to do the competition again. So first official competition in Czech republic was done at 28th and 29th September 1935. This is Czech start of casting.
There was a problem with rules. British Casting Association had its own rules, Casting Club de France had also its own rules etc. So in 1937 during casting competition of Paris, American casters suggested creation of one set of rules for all nations. By the way, this competition of Paris became the first international competition Czech casters participated. Mr. A. Bardoun and Mr. B. Zeman, both from Pilsen, came there.
And again "By the way" - one of presidents of Casting club the France was named Prince Pierre d'Arenberg. There exists one photograph showing him casting fly accuracy event, staying on pier and casting at targets on water.
Castingsport was popular. That probably is the reason why we know about participation of casting on Olympic Games in London, 1908. The games did not exactly know what sports should be Olympic. For example polo participated 2nd games and from 3rd games we do not see it there. Robe climbing participated three games, no more then. And as the casting was popular in England, casting was demonstrated there during 4th games. On the only photograph we can see a man with fly fishing rod casting accuracy event.
During two decades lot of national casting associations were established. Together with it amount of competitions was growing. Then Second World War came. After the war the sport was growing again, mostly thanks to American soldiers staying in Europe and casting at competitions. In Czechoslovakia there was and order from local angling association for preparing regular casting competitions. New Casting sport department was established for that. First chief of department was one of our greatest supporters, Mr. Valerián Roud.
In 1953 an American organization NAACC offered new international organization to other national clubs. So ICF - International Casting sport Federation - was established. First members were nations like Belgium, Finland, England, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, Netherlands, New Zealand or Australia. Mr. Myron C. Gregory became first president of the federation at 1st January 1954.
Three years later, in 1957, first World Championship of Casting was prepared in Kiel, West Germany.
82 casters from 12 nations came. At least this is what we can see in results.
- Sweden - 16 casters
- Norway - 12 casters
- West Germany - 12 casters
- Netherlands - 9 casters
- USA - 7 casters
- Belgium - 6 casters
- Switzerland - 5 casters
- Austria - 4 casters
- Great Britain - 4 casters
- France - 3 casters
- Denmark - 2 casters
- Canada - 2 casters
Events and multithlons of men category were:
- Fly skish - Gerhard Schöpp (Norway) won
- Fly combination - Jon Tarantino (USA) won
- Fly distance single handed - Jon Tarantino (USA) won
- Fly distance double handed - Jon Tarantino (USA) won
- Spinning skish with 17,72g - Franz Mordax (Austria) won
- Spinning skish with 10,50g - Johny Broers (Netherlands) won
- Spinning distance with 10,50g - Myron Garber (USA) won
- Spinning distance with 30,00g - Rune Frederiksen (Sweden) won
- Multi distance with 17,12g - Myron Garber (USA) won
- Multi distance with 17,72g - R. Rosengren (Sweden) won
- ----
- Fly duel - Jon Tarantino (USA) won
- Distance duel - Jon Tarantino (USA) won
- Distance quadruple - Jon Tarantino (USA) won
- Multi duel - Myron Garber (USA) won
4 ladies came too, two from Austria, two from Norway.
Event for them were:
- Fly skish - N. Krogeggen (Norway) won
- Spinning skish with 10,63g - Johanna Moldaschl (Austria) won
- Spinning distance with 10,50g - Hermine Krall (Austria) won
- Multi distance with 17,12g - E- Bri (Norway) won
- Multi distance with 17,72g - Johanna Moldaschl (Austria) won
Well, this was the first world championship of ICF.
In FORO ITALICO of Roma new fishing organization was established. It called CIPS (Confédération Internationale de la Pêche Sportive) and it was done in 22nd February 1952. At beginning it had 10 members (today is has 115 members). This organization includes several fishing sports like fly fishing of sea fishing. A part of this federation there was a department of castingsport. It became FCS (Federation of Casting Sport) in 1972. First congress at Riva del Garda and in 1952 prepared first rules for casting. The difference was in casting on land, not on water. Also plugs were different. Grow of this kind of sport was easier, seeking for some suitable playground is always faster than seeking for suitable water place.
First competition of CIPS was done in 1959 as European championship, at Zürich of Switzerland. Cannot find out how many caster was there. Results contains only first 3 casters. What we know is who was there. Casters from East and West Germany, Yugoslavia, Poland, Austria and Switzerland. We know it because those nations reached medals. This competitions was something like big entrée of Mrs. Helga Wischer to this sport. She won everything the ladies did cast.
That time 7.5 gram plus were used. As nowadays. The events and multithlons of men category were:
- Fly skish GG - Gerhard Hering (East Germany) won
- Fly distance GG - Franz Mordax (Austria) won
- Fly distance TG - Fritz Schreck st. (Switzerland) won
- Spinning Arenberg - Herbert Arndt (East Germany) won
- Spinning skish - Erhard Schuchardt (East Germany) won
- Spinning distance - Rudolf Biegler (Austria) won
- Spinning distance with 30,00g - Max Gutheil (Est Germany) won
- ----
- Pentathlon - Gerhard Hering (East Germany) won
What exactly was the GG or TG?
GG was Gebrachtsgeräte, something like regular equipment. Rods and lines used by every caster.
Today we could say GG were single handed events for pentathlon, casted by everyone.
TG was Turniergeräte, tournament equipment. Special events, not casted by everyone. Like fly distance double handed nowadays.
Ladies and juniors are not casting this event on championships.
So ladies did not cast fly distance TG, spinning distance with plug of 30g. That year ladies did not have pentathlon ceremony.
In 1960 CIPS prepared new rules. For example there was new event called Fly Arenberg for all or spinning distance with 15g plug.
Czechoslovakia Angling Union became member of CIPS in 24th July 1960. Same time it decided to participate the first World Championship of CIPS castingsport. It was located in Krakow of Poland. Nomination was created at 5th June 1960 during special control competition. 5 men and 1 lady were selected. Thanks to that one lady, Ludmila Geryková, we got our first world championship medal - bronze medal of fly arenberg. But later about it.
Well, we had the times of two organizations and two different rules.
References:
- American Casting Association
- Wikipedia
- Almanac for 40th anniversary of casting in Czechoslovakia, prepared by Czech Angling Union
- Results from older WC and EC