Wlodek enjoyed the fly distance single-handed the most. He devoted himself to it the most, and also trained here most often and for the longest time. Thanks to being able to meet casters from the GDR, he was able to observe the techniques of the best racers of the 70s and 80s. These included Wildfried Noack, Kedajnis Wolfgang Otto and Thomas Harring. But Wlodek's idol was another caster - Joachim Ohme. He had a very interesting technique and was one of the furthest casters at the time. Of course, he also got medals at two world championships. In 1971 (Pécs) he took the silver and in 1972 (Augsburg) he took the bronze medal.

Unlike others, Joahim Ohme held the rod very low, so he did not rest the handle on his forearm. He also held the rod with a side grip like a spear. A very difficult technique to master, but Wlodek wanted to master it. There was only one minor problem - he wasn't quite as physically fit as a boy. The arms are long, but the muscles would be hard to find on them. In addition, weak wrists that took a lot of work when casting and Wlodek had to strangle them so that the pain was not so huge.

He managed to perfect his technique only after his thirties, when he worked a lot on his arms. Then he didn't even need to strangle wrists anymore and stopped doing it. He eventually adopted the "Ohme" technique in such a way that he uses the rod holding low and with a side grip even when fly-fishing... :)

The first foreign competition that Wlodek participated in took place right behind Polish border, in the town of Weißwasser. Not that it was a successful competition, but he remembers the competition fondly. Poland was experiencing many changes in the 1980s. Solidarity, high inflation, there was no money for everything. This was also the reason why the Polish national team did not participate in many World or European championships.

The first championship that Wlodek visited was held in Berlin, the European championship in 1987. It was placed at the Olympia Stadium in the Spandau district. In the stadium where the Summer Olympics were held in 1936. It was something incredible for Wlodek, he had never seen such a huge stadium before (330 meters long and 210 meters wide). As if there were six football fields together. To this day, he still vividly remembers how it was raining there and he still did lay down on the ground and was fascinated by how flat the grass was in the stadium.

Wlodek did not start badly in this championship. At the Fly skish he missed only a wet target once, which was not a bad result. But 15 competitors casted 100 points and another 9 competitors casted the same as Wlodek. At arenberg it was 96 points. Three competitors had a full count and one had a 98, leaving Wlodek tied for 5th through 13th. The problem was with the spinning skish, it didn't quite work and brought down the pentathlon.

But Wlodek showed others a prediction what would be his main event in the future. He achieved the best position in fly single-handed distanceevents, fly combination and single-handed fly distance. At fly combination the targets probably affected the final event result, maybe that was why Wlodek finished only in 10th place. But he finished sixth in the purely distance event, right behind fourth Karel Světelský and fifth Ivan Zelenka.

At that time, Wlodek did not cast double-handed and multiplier events, so he only placed in the pentathlon, where he took 21st place. The male part of the Polish national team consisted of only four men and together they took 5th place in the team competition.

In 1996, there was a decision to hold the world championship outside of Europe after a long time. The location was in the Republic of South Africa. That was 12 years after the world championship in Canada and that was the last time the world championship was not held in Europe. The conditions were strange. September in Europe is like April in South Africa. The chairman Ulf Janson visited the place a year earlier and reported how everything was beautiful and green, just like in Europe during the spring. Well, upon arrival in 1996, the competitors were greeted by a landscape yellow from drought and the ever-present dust.

It was interesting that the air was really good for distance events. Jacek Kuza made new world record in fly distance, casting 72 meters with best cast. And Steve Rajeff was able to cast even more - 75 meters, but with invalid wind support. Michael Brösch made new world record in single-handed spinning distance, casting over 80 meters. As Steve Rajeff, Michael Harter had best cast in this event behind 82 meters, but also with invalid wind support. And double-handed events were around 97 meters (fly distance) and 120 meters (spinning distance). Patrik Lexa had 558 points in pentathlon, Thomas Maire 894 points in Heptathlon, Steve Rajeff 1 149 points in allround... yes, it was amazing competition.

It was great competition for Wlodek, we got between first 10 casters in four events and also in x-thlons - 7th place in pentathlon, 5th place in heptathlon and 8th place in allround.

After the competition some teams stayed in country for a while and had a trip to local Safari in National Park of Kurger at east of South Africa, close to Mozambiqueborder. As Wlodek said - it was unforgettable. Many photos and lot of memories preserved till now.

Last championship before next change of rules was in Pilsen, year 1999. European championship. Last time for rules that only a few casters remember. What was different?

Well, for example the target events - final round for all having the best result. Four casters had 100 points? Then only those four casters fought for medals in final. Only two had 100 points and next ten casters had 95? Ok, then the first two guys having 100 points fought for gold and silver in final. The next 100 casters having 95 points fought only for the one bronze medal. Several times happened in women category that one lady had 100 points, second one had 95 points and next three women had 90 points. The lady with 100 points won gold, the lady with 95 won silver and the next three ladies fought for bronze medal.

And in distance events the longest cast determined the winner. Everyone had only one try. Who was lucky and got wind and knew how to cast, then the guy had longest cast and won. No another final rounds there.

Wlodek was successful there. He got silver medal for single-handed fly distance. If summary of both casts would count, Wlodek would be fifth. But longest cast determined the ranking and Wlodek had cast over 60 meters. Second place right behind Josef Luxa.

Then year 2000 and for several times new rule changes came on championship in Sweden. That time final round came. Well, the original vision was having semi-final and then final rounds. In some events it was really hard to get medal. In some cases it was disputable if it was fair. Probably it was tuned during the championship because first day 34 casters moved to semi-final round and then 8 best casters moved to final round but other days only final round remained in next events.

In single-handed fly distance Wlodek did well, third best cast in semi-final round. Unfortunately he was sixth in final round...

On the other side, in spinning distance he was below the medal positions but during final round he moved to bronze medal position. It was similar in multi distance where he moved from fifth place of base round to bronze medal position in final round.

In Sweden there were other new ideas. Like anti-doping controls, being done on each championship till now. Special idea was super casting. Competition of two casters in pentathlon. This interesting and exciting competition finally disappeared from casting universe, unfortunately. Last info about super casting competition is from 2007.

Following European championship was held in Slovakian Nové Zámky in 2001. On airport. Target events were done in old rules way but distance events included final rounds. There were very strong wind. Wlodek was one of five casters able to cast over 70 meters in fly distance single-handed. For medal in final round he needed 24 centimeters more.

Wlodek also got to final round of spinning distance double-handed but he was 7th there.

And he got to final round one more time. In multi distance. Somehow with luck he got to final from last 8th place. Even during final round it did not look like medal chancy. Maybe that was why he decided to do maximal risk. Wlodek removed the big brake and kept only one very little. And went for final cast. Anything could happen. Could tangle after 30 meters of fly and fell down, the reel can twist incredibly fast and if the plug won't use all free line since the beginning of fly, it is over for the reel. And Wlodek knew that. But he tried. It was after raining, air was wet and almost no wind. He swayed the plug. Now or never. He put the plug behind his body, looked into the court area and put as much power as he was able to the rod. Plug hurtled toward the all previous results and took all the line provided by reel. No tangling even after 60 meters, plus still flying in the air. A while of expectation, a while of tension. Finally plus fell down. Measurement could begin.

It was incredible. Risk made sense. Wlodek had the last cast 6 meters longer than second best caster. With this multiplier cast of his life Wlodek won his first gold medal...

And another amazing competition, world championship in Slovenian Bled, year 2002. Wlodek got to final in fly skish and prepared great show in final round casting 100 points in 1 minute and 30 seconds. Only Swedish Henrik Harjanne was better, finished 25 seconds earlier. Well, another medal for Wlodek, silver one that time.

A pity, distance events were not good enough. Wlodek got to final in both single-handed distance events but we was not so lucky. That means he needed 1,5meters more in fly distance and 1,25 meters in spinning distance. Never mind, he was happy for his big friend Jacek that won the spinning distance.

But when all his results summarized - great distances and his best target loss so far (only 9 points), Wlodek reached something that no Poland man had not been able to reach before - Wlodek got a medal in pentathlon. It was also the first medal in any x-thlon for Poland man on world championship (Jacek got his bronze medal for allround on Europe championship - 1995).

And it still was not everything. Wlodek got another medal. It was silver for multi distance. And this year was also special for team competition. For very first time Poland male team was better than Czech team. Germany won, Poland was second and Czechia was on third place.

It was very special and successful championship. Wlodek got 3 individual medals for his first time. Celebration was huge. Yes, that is why casters say that ceremony after party is the last event the casters have to deal with...

How many casters can say "I was casting with my son or daughter on one championship"? Alena Kläusler? Juraj Mészáros? Yes, definitely they can say that. And since European championship in Berlin, year 2003, Wlodek can say it too. After successful junior championship, winning by Wlodek's son Mateusz, they moved to Berlin together. To the same stadium where Wlodek started his representative career in 1987. Return to the scene...

Wlodek won one bronze medal for his multi distance event. Four time in a row. Who can say that was able to get medal in any event for years in a row?

But Wlodek remembers the championship for double-handed spinning distance. There was special situation. Results from base round were sorted and final round started. After all three casts of all final casters and determining the winner new information came - protest about ranking. One caster was not sorted well and should be in the final. Protest accepted, new final round started. Another three casts of all final casters. The caster with protest won. That time another protest came. Someone checked the results correctly and found out Mateusz should be in the final. Checked the result of base round again. Protest accepted. Again.

Final round for third time. That time with Mateusz. And the 16-years old junior won!! He won his first adult gold medal for Poland. It was one of two male golds the Polish team got that year.

Anyway, Mateusz was special case of caster. Beating all adult casters in double-handed spinning distance? Well, in 2004 he showed up his real quality. Sure, he won junior championship again, move Polish team to gold medal (Czech team was third that year), but at adult championship he gripped attentions of other by double-handed fly distance.

It is really not easy to handle salmon distance. Mostly juniors even do not try this event and those that try it begin be good at it after they are adult. I Mateusz had problems with making loops that would fly to interesting distances. He did not listen to his father's advices. Rumors say it is standard process when sons do not listen to their fathers when sons get to that age... But during one international competition in Karlsdorf Juraj Mészáros came to Mateusz and with calm speech showed him what Mateusz was doing wrong.

And result of this? Mateusz got into group of 8 best casters with 3rd best cast and in final everyone was beaten by Mateusz!! Including such legends as Steve Rajeff. Incredible performance of 17-years old boy. No evidence about any other junior caster that would win both double-handed events on championship of adult casters before his 18-years age.

Wait a moment - and what about Wlodek? Yeah, he was there too. Unlucky. Even in the multi distance was bad. Best result was 4th place in heptathlon, missing 1.2 points for 3rd place (Steve Rajeff).

Next year 2006 was medalless for Wlodek. Substituted by his son Mateusz that again won spinning distance double-handed.

Next 7 years in a row Wlodek got at least one medal. At last European championship in Swedish Malmö he got his second gold medal from championship when he was able to cast over 70 meters as the only caster. It was the last year he participated championship with his son. Mateusz got silver in his great event - spinning distance double-handed.

Year 2008 was new challenge for Wlodek. He desired to prepare world championship at least for once. And he did it that year in his hometown, Krakow. Whole family was involved in preparation, including his wife Dorota, his daughter Karolina and her husband Szymek. Wlodek still remembers the effort and energy he had to put into the preparation to be sure it would be one of the best championships ever. Rumors say that it was the only championship when original price for participation price was finally decreased as organizers were able to obtain a donation for preparing the championship.

Wlodek could not fully concentrate for the competition but even so he got to final rounds of five events. Finally got only one bronze medal in single-handed fly distance but he was happy for it anyway.