Last week, the fly fishing world lost an icon in the realm of fly casting. Bill Gammel of Baytown, TX, passed away at the young age of 56. Gammel was a fly casting instructor who – with his father Jay – revolutionized the sport by co-creating the five core principles for effective fly casting.
In the late 1980s, the Gammels analyzed master casters and the physics of fly casting and condensed the mechanics of a perfect cast into five core principles. In 1990, at the urging of a fellow professor at Lee College, Judy Lehmberg, who at the time was FFI VP of Education, the Gammels produced a booklet for FFF entitled, “The Five Essentials of Fly Casting”. This booklet has since become the foundation for FFF/FFI casting instruction worldwide, and used by anglers of all skill levels to diagnose and achieve efficient, aerodynamic loops.
The Five Essentials are:
- Straight Line Path: The rod tip must travel in a straight line during the casting stroke to form a narrow, efficient loop.
- Proper Power Application: Power must be applied smoothly, increasing gradually and ending in an abrupt stop to load and unload the rod.
- Vary the Casting Arc: The size of the casting arc must match the length of the fly line extending past the rod tip.
- Proportional Pause: There must be a pause at the end of each stroke. The duration of this pause depends on the length of the line outside the rod tip.
- Eliminate Slack Line: You must keep slack to a minimum, ensuring the line remains under constant tension to effectively load the rod
Bill was an avid outdoorsman and Christian, and in 2015, wrote a book combining his love of outdoors and his beliefs. “A Sportsman’s Pursuit” is a collection of short stories about hunting and fishing from his life that all point back to the Gospel.
The FFI Gulf Coast Council wishes to express our sympathies to his wife, Tiffany, his sons, and the rest of the Gammel family.
Since 2007, the Gulf Coast Council has annually recognized individuals and clubs for their accomplishments in education, conservation, service and other areas that promote the goals and ideals of Fly Fishers International.
Did you know that women are the fastest growing demographic in fly fishing? Fly Fishers International recognized the value in mentoring women by establishing a women-focused program over 10 years ago. It is now known as FFI Women Connect.
The Gulf Coast Fly Fishers of coastal Mississippi will hold a “Double Header” seminar on Tuesday, June 2nd, at 6:00pm at the Biloxi Yacht Club at 
Each year, wildlife agencies in each state designate “Free Fishing Days” for the public to fish recreationally in public waters without a fishing license. These events are part of National Fishing and Boating Week.
Our Gulf Coast Classic earlier this month may have seemingly capped off an active season of fly fishing festivals, shows, clinics, and other related events. But in the immortal words of Billy Mays, “Wait, there’s more!”.
June 13 (Sat) – Tripletail Classic
June 25 (Thu) – Fly Fishing Film Tour benefitting Casting for Recovery – Southeast Chapter.
At the FFI Gulf Coast Classic, our Keynote Speaker Dr. Aaron Adams of the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust brought to the attention of the audience a bill currently in process in the 2026 Louisiana legislative session. House Bill 688 by Representative Joseph Orgeron would designate the Atlantic Tarpon as a gamefish.
Once again, our Gulf Coast Classic was a great success! While we achieved new attendance records, in terms of the mission of our organization – education, community, and conservation – it may have been the best we’ve ever had. So far, all of the exhibitors and featured tiers for this year’s event have expressed a desire to return next year.
