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Brief History of the Evolution of AAPGAI
compiled by Ron Holloway
In the days before and just after the Second World War the sport
of fly fishing was perhaps something of a rarefied sport, an art followed
by comparatively few. Most people were taught to cast a fly by a relation,
a friend or by a ghillie or river keeper. Standards of casting varied considerably.
To address this situation several notable casters of the time in the early 1960’s decided to form an association of accredited instructors working to a set syllabus. This association was called the “Association of Professional Game Angling Instructors” (APGAI) the leading lights in forming the association were Esmond Drury, Capt “Tommy” Edwards, Eric Horsfall Turner and Jack Martin who was four times World Fly Casting champion. A fly dressing section was formed and overseen by John Veniard. These men wrote the syllabi set the standards and examined candidates. Jack Martin was appointed Secretary and the Chairman was Arthur Oglesby.
Membership of APGAI grew slowly through the late sixties and seventies and not until the early eighties did it blossom out with younger instructors coming forward to attain the APGAI qualification in either the Trout, Salmon or Fly Dressing disciplines. Numbered among the early members were Bob Crosby, Dick Swift, Jim Crewdson, Ken Smith, Fred Showell, Barrie Welham, followed later by Ray Sugg, Ron Holloway, Peter MacKenzie-Philps, Howard Tonkin, Andy Dickinson and others who have since fallen by the wayside.
Examinations were held annually during December at the Chase Hotel in York on the grass lawn behind the hotel.
For many years Jack Martin was to be seen giving casting demonstrations at the CLA Game Fair and John Veniard demonstrating Fly Dressing on the ACA stand.
After Jack Martin’s untimely death Arthur Oglesby took over the Game Fair demonstrations while Donald Downs became Hon Secretary of APGAI. Between them they rationalised examinations and drew up marking sheets for each discipline, and the examination venue was moved to Grafham Water.
During the 90’s Michael Evans became Hon Secretary of APGAI and also took over the casting demonstrations at the Game Fair. Donald Downs became President of the Association.
In view of the then imminent introduction of the Coach Licensing program by Government it was decided by APGAI in 1997 to form the Game Angling Instructors Association (GAIA). Initially only APGAI members were members of GAIA but in 2000 it was decided that other qualifications would be accepted such as STANIC, SGAIC. On the inception of the Level 2 CCA system in 2002/3 it superseded the STANIC qualification and became the entry level for game angling coaches. It was envisaged that all subsequent technical examinations including the emergent Level 1 and Level 2 exams instituted by Government would be assessed by members holding the APGAI qualification.
After GAIA was formed in 1997 with only APGAI holders as members APGAI changed from a membership organisation into GAIA and APGAI became a qualification administered and owned by GAIA. From that time on it soon came very apparent that it was very difficult to set and maintain consistent standards of assessment for these new exams and or to update the APGAI syllabus. A syllabus that had not been modernised for many years and now needed to be more measurable and to include the several new casts that were now evident within the fly fishing world.
Many discussions were held between the GAIA committee and other members of GAIA who then held the APGAI qualification. At this juncture and on a purely human note it was felt and expressed very strongly by many APGAI holders that the historical camaraderie and team spirit that had built up over the years and was regarded as an integral part of being a member of APGAI was in serious danger of being completely lost under the management regime of GAIA.
As nothing positive was achieved out of these many prolonged and at times contentious discussions with GAIA it was therefore unanimously decided democratically in 2003 by a 64% majority of the GAIA members holding the APGAI qualification to form the Association of Advanced Professional Game Angling Instructors (AAPGAI) with a remit to actively address these problems, yet still remain under the umbrella of GAIA. Unfortunately this was also incompatible with the desires of the GAIA administrators. The outcome of which was that the newly formed AAPGAI reluctantly had no alternative but to democratically and legally form its own constitution, elect its own officers and become a totally independent organisation which had no ties what so ever with GAIA. This it did in 2004.
It has taken little time for AAPGAI to build its membership, get its infrastructure running efficiently and write and implement its new modernised syllabus. All of the active AAPGAI members who held the old APGAI qualification at that time only, and still do, were issued with the AAPGAI “Advanced” certificate in their relevant disciplines. Several members went on and sat for their AAPGAI “Masters” and these were assessed by peer review. Those that were successful formed the foundation of the AAPGAI Assessor Team.
AAPGAI has just one aim as an independent organisation and that is the establishment and maintenance of the highest professional standard of instructional ability in every AAPGAI member. AAPGAI principles all are based upon one single core qualification standard which is the AAPGAI “Advanced” certificate awarded in either “Trout” (Single Handed Rods) “Salmon” (Two Handed Rods) or Fly Dressing.
To achieve this AAPGAI put in place a rigid three year training program for all its assessors that sets the pass standards and establishes and maintains consistent assessing standards. All 16 present assessors in the AAPGAI “Assessors Team” used by AAPGAI each are and have been independently assessed via an accredited centre for a City & Guilds L20 award which ensures that the AAPGAI assessment procedures are not only fair but fully standardised.
AAPGAI consistently reviews its syllabi, liaises with FFF (USA) with whom it has an excellent relationship and holds at least two AAPGAI workshop weekends per year where prospective candidates can come along to see what instruction and AAPGAI is all about as well as learning more about the technical side of casting through the many and varied demonstrations provided by AAPGAI members at these events.
AAPGAI offers a first class mentoring scheme for budding instructor candidates to attain the required skill levels to sit an AAPGAI exam. It offers first class insurance to its members and opportunities for members to take accredited and certificated courses in both first aid and child protection. It also provides a route for all instructors to obtain a CRB disclosure all of which enables AAPGAI instructors if they so wish to acquire a Coach License. AAPGAI and its qualifications are fully recognised by SANA which is the governing body of game angling in Scotland and AAPGAI assessors are currently delivering assessor services to SANA in the technical aspects of their Level 2 and SGAIC assessments.
There has been considerable and understandable confusion in the minds of outsiders seeking to acquire an instructor’s qualification.
The AAPGAI “Advanced” qualification is owned and administered by AAPGAI and the APGAI qualification is owned and administered by GAIA. These two qualifications differ in their technical content within the respective syllabi. The standards of assessment and consistency in assessing are regarded to be far higher in the AAPGAI “Advanced” exams. Although the names of these two qualifications may be confusing there is absolutely no connection at all between the two qualifications or the two organisations.
A good measure of the success of AAPGAI progress is reflected in the positive feed backs received from candidates who have been both successful and unsuccessful and without exception every unsuccessful candidate has stated that they are determined to return to retake their exam and they do!!
The reputation of AAPGAI continues to grow rapidly with candidates applying for assessment from not only throughout UK but from Iceland, Germany, Denmark, Russia, Norway, Sweden and USA. This is due to the fact every candidate can be assured of a fair consistent assessment set to a very high level of attainment in a friendly and helpful atmosphere and in the company of dedicated instructors and assessors who want to help all candidates achieve their goals.
The AAPGAI remit is 100% dedicated to the provision of qualified professional game angling instructors who instruct to a very high standard that ensures people who book with an AAPGAI instructor are assured to receive the best game angling tuition available.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank all the members of AAPGAI who have willingly contributed
to this brief history.
RH