[GH] Lefty Kreh sends this message on Floyd Dean's ACCELERATOR. He relates it to his preferred use of visual teaching techniques and ends with a couple of his effective teaching tricks :
Gordy
At nearly 88 my memory isn't what it used to be but as I recall Floyd Dean had a device with a sliding unit on it. The device was to imitate a rod and the unit began on the casting stroke near the hand. As you accelerated the unit would slip up and forward indicating where the angler directed the cast. While it could imitate a good or poor stroke all the action occurred in such a brief period on the short device it wasn't too visual.
Years before I saw Floyd's device I wrote an article using a short one inch PVS plastic pipe to simulate a fly rod. A 1 1/4 inch pipe coupling was slipped over the pipe. When the correct continuous acceleration to a stop (a good stroke) occurred the coupling shot straight ahead. After a few times chasing the coupling I attached a string between pipe and coupling.
I stopped using it when a student accelerated too fast immediately. The coupling flew upright and came down vertically striking him on the head. No real damage to the person but I think he did learn the hard way not to accelerate too fast in the beginning.
As you know I now use half a fly rod and a light empty plastic bottle attached and it works well. Fly Fisherman Magazine will soon publish a piece on this.
Another method Ed Jaworowski and I have used for a long time is laying a straight length of rope on the grass. It's visual. The angler stands back from the line so at the beginning of the back or forward cast the rod tip touches the line. Then a low side stroke it made and it's important to let the resulting fly line loop fall to the ground. The mission is to make the stroke in either direction so the fly line falls almost parallel or on the rope. If the stroke is improper the line's loop legs after the cast will not be parallel.
Once he/she is making the correct stroke the student is asked to begin false casting sideways just above the line. When both back and forward cast are moving along the line the rod is slowly elevated while false casting until vertical good strokes are learned. If during false casting the stroke falters the student starts the process over. The best part of this is you get a visual report on the result after each stop and the student teaches himself—and will more likely remember.
Lefty
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[GH] Lefty,
Well... getting hit in the head is one way to "drive home the principle"!
After learning the "bottle trick" from you, I've used it ever since. Works great. Those little light medication bottles can be bought at most pharmacies. I like the ones with a 1/2" (about 1 cm.) mouth... the whole bottle about 3" (7.5 cm.) in height.
For teaching loop control, I have used your horizontal casting over a taught rope on the ground regularly.
If I'm in a circumstance where I don't have a rope, I use my own outfit and stretch my fly line out so the student can cast over it. (Another reason for an instructor to use a hi viz line. The student can't see a green one in the grass.)
Gordy
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[GH] Most students of fly casting learn by various combinations of the methods we discussed. Once in a while we'll encounter a student who learns best by FEEL. This student may not have responded well to visual demonstration, hearing the explanation, or trying to accomplish a task on his own. This is when a HANDS ON approach may work best.
There are many ways of accomplishing this. I like the concept of using my casting hand (right or left, depending on the "handedness" of the student on the butt section of the rod as I stand behind and just off the student's casting arm. I make a series of moves with the student in this order:
1. I have the student hold the rod cork and simply feel the motion I impart to the rod as I make the cast.
"The instructor makes the cast while the student goes for the ride".
2. After doing 1. a few times, I ask the student to duplicate the cast right along with me a few times.
"Both student and instructor make the cast together."
3. Once I have a sense that the caster and I are more or less in synch, I keep my hand in place lightly and ask the student to make the cast.
"The student makes the cast while the instructor goes for the ride".
If successful, I give the student time to practice and experiment. If not, I may repeat the whole sequence.
Caveats:
# Always ask the student if he/she would like to try casting together. (The student will almost always agree... but, If I sense reluctance, I don't do it.)
# Be astute as you "read your student" to determine if any of these methods are distasteful to him/her !!
# Some instructors favor placing their hand directly upon the student's hand. This makes some students uncomfortable. For this reason, Macaulay Lord introduced, a few years ago, the simple technique of having the student place his/her hand upon the instructor's hand. He did this as part of a Conclave workshop he was giving. There were about 15 or so of us. We paired up and tried both methods. Most participants felt that his method was preferable.
# The oft used method of having the instructor stand a bit to the student's casting hand side and behind the student with one hand on the student's shoulder works well for some student's, but makes others uncomfortable.
# Another method particularly useful for students who are not comfortable with hand to hand contact, and one which helps assure better alignment with both student and instructor is one which is described in detail in the Winter issue of the LOOP *
The instructor uses both hands. He places thumb and forefinger on the distal end of the cork grip. The caster's hand is below his on the grip. The instructor uses his other hand on the very base of the rod butt. His arm is aligned closely with the student's; inside the student's arm for male students and outside for females.
* A TEACHING TECHNIQUE: HANDS ON, by Floyd Franke, THE LOOP,Winter Issue, 2006.
Gordy
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[GH] Next message: Enhance the FEEL by casting with the eyes closed.
Gordy
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