[SPAM] Teaching beginners...methods

Walter & Group....

 

 

Gordy - Here is the original:

 

Gordy - just trying to compile a list of the ways people teach the basic casting stroke to beginners and some of the

advantages/disadvantages of each.

 

So far I have:

 

- ground casting casting. The student progresses from ground casting to side arm to overhead casting. Student can progress at own

  pace and can see the entire casting motion. Make sure slp is maintained and arc/wrist flip happens at end of cast. I find this to be

  an excellent instructional tool AND makes a great self diagnostic tool for the student to take away with them for when they are

  practicing on their own. Not so great for practicing on water. Can be done in windy conditions (as long as not too much wind).

 

- pantomiming - this is a great way to begin teaching students who have spent time doing other types of fishing (e.g. gear fishing)

  because it helps to build up some muscle memory without the rod in hand before picking up the fly rod. The next logical step

  would be the pick up and lay down cast or false casting with rod in hand. Again pantomiming is a great tool for the student to

  take away. Can be done anywhere including riding in a car or sitting in an office.

 

- starting with the back cast only before moving on to the pick up and lay down - has the advantage that since the most common

  starting problem is wristing on the back cast this problem can be addressed early. The pick up and lay down can be based on

  learning from the back cast only exercise. Adversely affected by wind. Okay for water or grass.

 

- starting with the roll cast - seems to be losing popularity with most people I talk to. A good one to use when on the water and

  only have 5 minutes to get started (e.g. a guide has limited time to show a newby how to get started). Presumably there would

  be opportunity for later instruction. Works best on water.

 

- start with false casting but find the amount of fly line the student has good control over (even it is only 10 feet) and building up

  from there. I find a lot of instructors want to start with 30 feet of fly line immediately because they've been taught that this is the

  right amount of line to load the rod properly but the student may not be able to handle this amount - especially in windy conditions.

  Finding a reasonable amount of line for each student to start with is applicable in all cases where rod and line are used.

 

Once the student has begun false casting a very useful tool is to let the student hold the grip while the instructor actually performs

the cast and then letting the student take over.

 

I've also found that casting beside a student and telling them to synchronize with me is a very good way to help the student

get the feel for the cast. Helps if you cast with the opposite hand as the student so the student can see the entire casting

motion. I've talked to a few instructors about this and many of them have used this tool as well but I haven't seen it

documented anywhere.

 

One thing that is often overlooked is to fully demonstrate the grip and to work with each student to ensure they are using

a suitable grip and understand any reasons why you would change their grip. Also make sure they aren't using a death grip.

 

A question - How long should an introductory lesson run for? I know that an individual exercise should be limited to at most 15

minutes but what is a reasonable amount of time for the whole lesson before breaking? We've been planning on 3 hours but

adjust to the students. Typically they are ready to break after 2 - 2.5 hours although some will go on longer. It is important

to make sure students aren't experiencing muscle soreness during the lesson. If so the instructor should see if the student

is doing something to cause the soreness (death grip, pre-existing, physical condition, using too much power, etc.) or

encourage a slower pace.

 

I would appreciate input on any other methods you are aware of.

 

Thanks

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Walter....

WOW....that's a lot to grab hold of.

To answer your questions:

1.)  I'd suggest a break of some sort hourly.  With children, more often.

2.)  There are many, many methods.  Some do as Joan Wulff does and start with a simple on-the-water roll cast after shaking some line from the rod.  Joan's reasoning is that this accomplishes 2 things.  First, it teaches one stroke without worrying about the other (No true, "backcast").  Second, it provides almost instant success which translates into an early positive experience.  The, "in-the-air" roll cast is taught later, after the student learns the basics of false casting.

The use of a, "yarn rod" can be effective, too.

I know of a couple of successful instructors who concentrate on the back cast early.  They have the student make many back casts until perfected starting with the line out in front on grass.  A back cast is made, then the student turns and makes one in the opposite direction, repeating the process, etc.  George Roberts is one who does that.  He feels that learning that back cast is the hardest for most and that since it is the prelude to a good forward cast, that it is worth doing it that way.

I favor the methods of doing horizontal rod plane casting over a rope or between two ropes stretched tight on the ground.  As expertise is gained casting loops this way, then going, "airborne" just above the rope (s) after which the rod plane goes off vertical, etc.  We do this with one length of line (about 30'), and then repeat with ever increasing lengths of line.  I end up with them doing it with different lengths of line....and different loop speeds.  This help teach the concept of longer pause for longer lengths of line carried....and then SHORTER PAUSE for the same lengths of line as the loop speed increases.  Along the way, the student learns the principle of rod tip SLP as well.

I like to concentrate on tight loops.....then teach CONTROLLED wide loops with reasons for chosing each.  The student must learn both in order to handle the real world of fishing.  (If he's going to be a trout fisherman, he'll probably use more wide loop casts than tight loop ones.)

Many STYLES of teaching !

My own experience tells me that it's actually easier for the student to handle 30' of line than less or more as they start.  It is NOT a matter of less line being easier. (One MCI candidate was asked on his exam to make good loops using only 6' of line out of the rod.)  Try it.  It's not so easy.  Now go to using 30' and find the answer yourself.

Perhaps some of the others in the Group could give their methodology.

Gordy