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Walter & Group...
[GH] We've had comments on Soon Lee's method of teaching young students to cast. This is from Soon:
Hi Gordy,
I appreciate Walter's kind comments on my "method" of teaching beginners to throw tight loop. Like him I find the "method" particularly suitable for teaching youngsters. Indeed Floyd Dean took the trouble to search me out at a past Conclave to tell me he used the "method" with quick success in teaching his little nephews. I cannot say that I originated the "rest line on the lawn with each cast" to begin the method, nor can I take credit for the "graduated length" scheme either for incremental learning or as fall-back reinforcement of what has been learnt. But perhaps how I conceived my step-wise "method" is original.
For me the brisk "stop" to produce tight loop is the awkward/difficult skill to teach. Peter Hayes exhorts his student to use his rod to chop at Peter's forehead as though the student is wielding a tomahawk. So far his students have always stopped short of giving Peter a headache. Peter's may be the most dramatic amongst the many ways of teaching this brisk "stop". But what I find is that teaching the student to stop the rod as a secondary task after he has fashioned a casting stroke retards his progress. It is likely that rod loading and unloading associated with some 30 feet of line does not allow an easy introduction to brisk "stop". I observed early on that in casting classes, all students struggle until one by one, each learns to properly stop the rod. The sorry thing is that this epiphanic "stop" is not easy to come by. For me, teach fly casting by teaching "stop" first.
With four to five feet (half rod length) of line carry the instructor stops the rod briskly and easily to produce tight loop. The student mimics the motion to produce the same result. He succeeds usually within five minutes. Unknowingly, each student has managed smooth acceleration with SLP. The lesson focus is on "stop": SLP and tight loop comes naturally. This is quite different from concentrating on SLP with casting stroke, then laboriously learning later a separate skill, "stop". ( With this feel of a brisk "stop" as the crux, the "method" then adds more skills step-wise until the student casts at fishing distance).
The wonder of this "method" with young students is that very few words need to be spoken. It is based on pantomime and copy. Another observation is that the young graduate of this method will not know how to throw tailing loop: this is a skill he will later have to acquire, if he wants to be an instructor.
Best regards,
Soon.
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[GH] Soon,
A sensible way to go. I'll try your method at the earliest opportunity.
Talking about "straight line path of the rod tip", "rod loading" and "acceleration" makes no sense to a child.
Gordy
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[GH] From Harry Boyd,
Really enjoying the various ideas about teaching youngsters. What impresses me is that everyone seems to understand that fly casting and fly fishing really should be fun. I'm afraid too often we take the fun out of our endeavors without even realizing it.
I am also reminded of the often heard cliche that it's best to ask someone else to teach one's spouse to cast. I have taught several dozen spouses (wives, mostly -- although a husband or two) to cast. Maybe we would do better to ask someone else to teach our children casting as well.
Harry Boyd
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[GH] Harry,
We have been reading success stories of kids who have been taught by fathers and grandfathers. These, however, seem to have a common thread.
Most of these youngsters (including me, 75 years ago) were taught, not by formal lessons, but by degrees in "doses" small enough and sufficiently pleasurable experiences which led to easy learning over a period of time. All this finally culminating in a child who could take a fly rod and proudly catch a fish.
I agree that formal lessons should be given with large rafts of FUN, and by our instructors who love kids and share the pleasure of their accomplishments.
Gordy
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