The Master’s certification is a rigorous and demanding test. It is not the intention of the Federation of Fly Fishers to disappoint anyone who takes the exam; rather it is our simple intention to help people become better casters and better teachers of fly casting. Those who administer the Master’s level certification have a strict charge because Master Casters are in turn permitted to certify those at the first Instructor’s level.

Thus certification at the Master’s level requires more than just meeting a specified set of casting requirements. It also requires that the applicant have a broad range of experience in casting itself.  Certification is the end of a process, not the beginning. The Master Caster must be the exceptional individual, able to teach others how to teach. These are rather demanding requirements, but they are the requirements that FFF wishes to be assessed.

 
Even anglers who have excellent fly fishing skills may not necessarily be certified at the Master’s level - ability in angling is only part of the certification process. Equally important is a broad range of casting abilities (for instance being able to make curve casts by more than one method) and a great deal of comfort in demonstrating them.

In the teaching of casting, the applicant must be able to describe the skills in as many ways as possible because different people respond differently to verbal descriptions. The ability to see casting through the eyes of the untrained caster is essential, especially since the Master Casting Instructor will be teaching others how to teach. It is strongly recommended that those at the Master’s level have a solid grasp of the literature on casting and be able to discuss the different approaches to fly casting used by acknowledged current-day authorities on the subject.

To pass the Master's test, you must be able to do the following:

• Pass a comprehensive performance test
• Analyze casting faults (performed by testers)
• Demonstrate teaching methodology
• Pass an oral examination