A teaching challenge / Stripers Forever

Walter & Group ... (My last message for this week, as I'll be away.)

From Robert Shigley.............

Today was the most challenging day I've ever had in teaching fly casting, and I hope that each instructor reading this message will give it some deep thought. I am not a certified instructor but am waiting to take my test, but today was a day that all instructors including the BOG should review.

I received a phone call from a lady today who said her brother had attended one of my classes at the University of Southern Indiana on fly casting, and her husband was also interested in learning how to cast. She went on to say that since the weather was nice would I consider giving her husband some lessons. I said yes and suggested that he come to my house where we could go outside in my yard and take some basics.

A few hours later a car pulled in my driveway and a women got out and opened her large trunk and took out a wheel chair and rolled it around to the passenger side and quickly transferred her husband from the car to the wheel chair. She came to my door and said that her husband wanted to learn how to fly cast and that he had watched a number of videos and had a place where he could be moved into shallow water in a stream and fly fish.

Walla! Teaching someone to fish who is disabled and confined to a wheel chair! I asked her could he hold a rod? She said yes, and that he had a stroke and was stiff on his left side but could use his right side OK. I introduced myself to him, John, and assured him that I could teach him to cast and enjoy fly fishing with proficiency.

I told him my wife was also disabled and confined to a wheel chair, and went in the house and brought out her chair and got into it myself beside him in the middle of the street. I asked John what his level of mobility was and handed him my rod to hold and basically wave back and forth. He had purchased a new rod from Cabellas and it was still in the wrapped packaged. I had him take it out and showed him how to assemble it. The reel was already wound with backing and line but no leader. I showed him how to tie a simple perfection loop which he had trouble doing because of limited use of his left side, and I connected the leader to the line for him.

I then set down in my wife's wheel chair next to him and disconnected the arms of his chair so he could have more arm room and mobility. I layed the line out on the ground in the various loops and explained that that we were going to cast tight loops and wide loops but not tailing loops. Then I said that I was not going to begin with the easy stuff to start with but the hard casts so he could gain confidence in developing a style that would accommodate his disability: double hauls and roll casting, which I demonstrated standing then in the chair.

Double hauling in a wheel chair was a challenge especially since John' s line hand was stiff. I had him pull line down and pinch it against the chair seat and move the rod back and forward to put pressure on the pinched line which he did and was able to shoot line at the end of the cast. It wasn't a true double haul but he was able to get the line really going and make a decent distance cast of 60 feet. When the rod was unloading the let go of the pinch and the line shot forward quite well.

John's roll casting worked out well. Being confined to a wheel chair he was not able to assume a standing stance and turn and watch his line go behind him. I turned his wheel chair 45 degrees to the right so he could see the line go back and he his sense of timing for the "pause" was incredible (he had to ). He wasn't casting side arm but close to it. No creep and no drift, but he executed everything I suggested very well even tho his left side was limited.

I told him that the learning experience was mine, and related that a good friend of mine, Chris Nischan, who is a CCI in Nashville, has a number of clients who are disabled in wheel chairs.

Football coach Mike Dikta was on TV today as said that "those who live in the past will die in the past, and that they are cowards too afraid to change". I guess that challenge should be studied by the FFF and the BOG to study how certified casting instructors can teach and deal with people with disabilities especially those in wheel chairs. The National Wild Turkey Federation has program for "Wheelman" to encourage turkey hunting for those confined to wheel chairs. Seems to me that there are skills to be learned and imparted to disabled persons wishing to learn to fly fish "proficiently".

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Robert: This one of thousands of teaching experiences which make us all better teachers as we take this journey !!!

As an aside, many instructors if not most would take issue with teaching the double haul on the first lesson. You were successful in doing this, but doing it so early can lead to problems ... mainly with the early student using it to take up the slack that he/she ought to learn to eliminate from the basic stroke BEFORE learning the haul.

Lefty put it well, I thought, when he commented on this by saying, " A lot of casters use the haul to throw their mistakes farther."

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This from Michael Gallert. ( I don't ordinarily send requests even for worthwhile things, but this one is dear to my heart ... ranks right up there with TU ) As many of you know, the striper is a wonderful fly rod fish !

Gordy:

Have at look at S F, if you are aware already, my aploogies. I f not, give them a chance and look at the site.

Last year Stripers Forever in kahoots with the FFF-NEC held a function, raised some money and spread the made more steps towards getting Stripers designated as a Game Fish.

Michael

Michael Gallart

Director- Programs EJTU/FFF

Director ,VP- Education Chair FFF N.E.C

FFF Certified Casting Instructor

Please forward this request to potential new Stripers Forever members.

Thanks!

From: "Bradford Burns" <bigbass@xxxxxxxxxxxx>

To: <fordrr@xxxxxxxxxxx>

Date: Fri, 5 Jan 2007 18:38:08 -0500

Today we are asking all members of Stripers Forever to take a very quick

and easy, but important step to help striped bass right now.

You won't have to leave your computer, and it will not take more than a

minute or two.

Dear striped bass fisherman - our favorite fish is under more pressure than

ever, and Stripers Forever , a free membership, internet-based organization

is fighting for them on many fronts. They need as many members as possible

to show the politicians how many people depend on striped bass for

recreation, food, and income.

If you haven't signed up yet as a member of Stripers Forever, here are a few

things you should know:

* Membership is free

* There are no meetings to attend

* Everything is done via the internet and e-mail

* Many of the top fisherman in the country support Stripers Forever

* Stripers Forever's only goal is to make striped bass a game fish,

which means it would be managed for the benefit of

fishing public, now and in future generations

Here is all that you have to do, it will take less than a minute and cost

nothing:

* Go to www.stripersforever.org

* Select Become A Member

* Fill out the very easy to follow sign up sheet.

This is a critical time for striped bass. Help Stripers Forever

successfully advocate to protect wild striper populations by Making It A

Game fish.

Thank you from the Stripers Forever board of directors

_______________________________________________________________

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