SIM Suisse Italian Fly Casting Style School

EWF 2026

About Us
The SIM Suisse was founded in 2001 and is a non-profit association. Through its instructors it offers fly-fishing casting courses in the Italian Casting Style. The SIM Suisse is primarily active in Switzerland, France, Germany, and Austria, where it organizes casting courses in the Italian style, either independently or in cooperation with local associations. Its multilingual instructors, working on a voluntary basis, were all trained in Italy and contributed to the codification and teaching methodology of this technique, which combines great elegance with remarkable efficiency.

The Italian Casting Style (Italian Casting Style)

This casting style was developed by Florentine Roberto Pragliola and is known worldwide under the name of TLT. The technique originated in the mountains of Central Italy and is particularly well suited for fast, overgrown, small to medium-sized waters.

A casting technique must help solving the problems imposed by both the environment and the fish. The environment mainly creates challenges related to controlling the cast and preventing drag. The fish, on the other hand, requires a precise and delicate presentation of the fly, the leader and the line. These simple observations show how important it is to master a casting technique that provides the means to choose the appropriate cast in any situation — the cast that offers the best chance to reach the fish in the right place. A diverse range of casts that makes fishing easier - this is what the SIM Suisse teaches and promotes.

Short rod: 7 to 8.6 ft
Light line: DT 2 to DT 4
Long leader: 4 to 5 meters
Cast control: control of the system fly – leader – line – rod

The style was developed for the equipment and fishing situations described above. However, with appropriate adaptations in casting technique, it can also be applied successfully with more classical equipment (9' #5/6 rods) and on larger rivers.

What will SIM Suisse do at the EWF?

Thanks to the organizers, the SIM Suisse will be present at the EWF with a booth and its own casting area. You are welcome to visit us at any time, try the technique, share your experiences with us or ask any questions that interest you. Do not worry about equipment — we have everything you need and will provide it to you. Our instructors speak several languages (German, English, Italian, French and Spanish), so communication will not be a problem and there will certainly be plenty of enjoyment.

For the first time this year we will offer workshops as part of the fair program. Each workshop lasts 60 minutes: two will take place on Saturday and two on Sunday.

“Introduction to the Italian Casting Technique for Experienced Anglers”
The workshop will focus on specific fishing casts (curve casts, underhand casts, overlapped casts, “Svirgolati” casts, etc.).

Saturday, April 18 : 10:30–11:30 and 14:00–15:00.
Sunday, April 19 : 10:30–11:30 and 14:00–15:00

Registration is possible at any time at the SIM Suisse indoor-stand (Cristian Ottonetti)
Participants should meet at our casting area 15 minutes before the beginning of the workshop for a short briefing.
The number of participants is limited (maximum 4 per workshop).
Places are allocated upon registration on a first-come, first-serve basis.

The Instructors

François Bietry

Born and raised in the south of France, I am a passionate fly fisher and photographer, working as a full-time guide for nearly a decade across France, Europe, and Patagonia. I hold certifications as a Master Casting Instructor (MCI) with Fly Fishers International and as a Level 1 instructor with SIM Suisse (Italian Style Fly Casting School). My life is dedicated to fly fishing, river conservation, and education. During winter, I organize fly-fishing trips to South America in the wild landscapes of Chilean Patagonia, collaborating closely with local communities. My focus is on providing enjoyable and educational experiences that emphasize skill development and environmental knowledge.

Raymond Brückner

A passionate angler since childhood, I discovered fly fishing about 20 years ago. And although I greatly enjoy serving large streamers to pike from a belly boat or drifting small nymphs over the heads of deep-dwelling grayling and trout, for me the greatest excitement lies in dry fly fishing—especially using the Italian casting style in fast, alpine mountain streams. What fascinates me most is the creative versatility and endless possibilities of casting, as well as its complexity and control, enabling one to defy turbulence in crystal-clear waters and outwit even difficult fish—while always continuing to learn. Since 2023, I have been an assistant instructor (basic level) and enjoy progressing to the next levels with the support of my experienced colleagues at SIM Suisse.

Simone Cometti

A passionate angler since childhood, I have been fly fishing since the age of 14, when I used to ride my bicycle or moped to the river. I love fly fishing in all its aspects, particularly the endless opportunities to learn from every situation and every person. Casting is one of my greatest passions. My greatest pleasure lies in constantly experimenting with new ideas and trying to approach every fishing situation with creative and effective solutions. This doesn’t always work—but that is exactly what makes fly fishing so beautiful, exciting, and inspiring. I have been a Level 1 instructor with SIM Suisse since 2014 and consider teaching one of the most rewarding aspects of the sport, as it allows people to improve and fully enjoy fly fishing.

Malik Mazbouri

Passionate about fly fishing, Malik Gérard Mazbouri fishes in Alpine, Jura, Icelandic, and Argentine rivers, as well as on tropical flats, where he targets local species, with a particular fondness for permit and GT. A former foreign member of the SIM Italy technical board (2012–2016), Malik is also a certified Fly Fishers International (FFI) instructor and a member of the didactic-technical committee of the SIM Suisse – Italian Fly Casting Style School. There, he teaches the Italian casting style and has developed a certification program for new instructors. He has given several Italian casting style demonstrations across Europe. In 2022, he joined the Fly Casting Lab team, an association dedicated to promoting and teaching fly casting in the French-speaking world. He lives in Bern, Switzerland.

Paolo Rezzonico

As a child, I was fascinated by the few fly fishermen I saw and told myself that one day I would be able to do it as well. Now, over 60 years old, I am a Level 2 (Master) instructor with the SIM Suisse, and my motto is: “In fly fishing, you never stop learning. Every river and every fish must be approached and mastered in different and new ways.” I hope that I have always been able to teach my students something new.

In-house exhibition stand:
Christian Ottonetti, Fly Tyer

I have been fishing for as long as I can remember and have tried almost every form of angling, until in the mid-1990s I first saw a fly line dancing on the water. Almost immediately, I began tying my own flies to use while fishing, and before long, fly tying—alongside fishing itself—became my greatest passion. At the end of the 1990s, I entered the world of competitions, remained active for many years, and achieved several placements. The most important was certainly winning the Italian Pair Championship in 2013—the same year in which, for various reasons, I also decided to stop competitive fishing. Since 2023, I have been a member of the “Pro Team” of the company Textreme. I am also a member, committee member, and coordinator of fly-tying courses at the “Club Pescatori a Mosca Ticino” in Ticino, and a board member of SIM Suisse.