Direct instruction / The STOP

Excellent thoughts by Mac in his article in the LOOP. He is reminding us instructors to tailor our instruction for the purpose at hand, e.g., keep it simple for those wishing only to make a decent cast to a fish -- those students who don't need or want to know the 'why', just the 'how'.

It is very difficult for some instructors to avoid telling students how to build a watch, when all the student wanted was the time. The instructor's desire to share their knowledge is so strong. It takes courage and confidence to say little, even more if the instructor is getting paid for the lesson.

Certainly a key is understanding the student's needs/motives/desires -- what do they want to get out of this session -- to simply catch a fish or something more? Good instructors try to get an answer to that question before beginning a teaching session and they tailor their work to that need, hopefully erring on the side of brevity -- its difficult to do. It pains me to think of the times I provided students with too much information - its probably the most common pitfall for an instructor.

Mac's points about simplicity, breaking new complex motions for the student into smaller parts, and using only positive examples/demos e.g., showing them good loops, not bad ones - are excellent.

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

Tom White and I used to give class on fly fishing tackle. Tom said, "We don't need to include the details of building a custom bamboo fly rod "........

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

A few years back I read about the "ribbon dance"...(I'm not sure who the author was but they deserve much credit...likely an article in the Loop by one of our instructors). I tried it and it changed the way I start students casting. When I hand out the rods I ask everyone to PLAY with them for 5 minutes FIRST. The only demonstration I give is how they can paint circles like a helicopter and make figure 8's and play. The only verbal instruction I give them is to use about 20 feet of line and the line will follow the rod tip. This is without a doubt the fastest way for the students to get a "feel" for a rods action. No focus on right or wrong. No concentration on making a loop. No thought of effecting the principles. Within a minute every student gravitates to nice oblong loops due to their desire to cast as they conceive it. When we start drills focusing on loop formation students progress faster because they already have a great feel for the rod. An added bonus is "play time" relieves students performance anxiety as they are much more fluid and relaxed.

Hello Gordy,

I got to try the DI method this morning on a class of 4 beginners.

When starting the class I asked if they wanted the 'science' behind the casts and they all said no. They just wanted to learn how to 'fish'.

The usual wordy explanations were substituded by body positions and I used hand signals up front to relate to -'lift'-'up cast'-'forward cast' and 'follow through.' That way I could just use a hand jesture from accross the lawn to relate to a casting error. After @10 min of slow step by step pantomime with the lower half of the rod we set up and went right to the casting station with 30ft of line out and with a little coaxing they were doing okay.

No Essentials of the cast, no simple explaination of a cast and it's variables. Not much loop explaination up front....just mechanics....and it worked quick and got in their heads.

There is a lot more to the story of the day's lesson but my point is........I like it!

The DI fits the situation when someone just wants to be able to learn to 'fish', and I have 2 hours to teach them.

I realized how simple the approach must have felt to one of the students when I offered them more time in the future and he said, " What else would we need to learn?" As if to say, he knew it all now---I guess he was satisfied.

Rene

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Don Pendleton has this to say :

Gordy,

Along with Dave Leger and many other fine instructors I have volunteered at the Midwest Fly Fishing Expo in Chicago for the last two years. John Breslin and the show sponsors Midwest Fly Fishing Magazine have really stepped up to the plate to allow FFF volunteers to teach fly casting.

Dave's description of the instruction is pretty complete. We have about 15-20 minutes depending on the line for lessons to work with an individual. I would say that 90% of those we are coaching have never used a fly rod for fishing. The other 10% have a specific question such as mending, roll casting or double hauling etc.

The DI approach must have a quick background check to work. Introduce yourself, exchange pleasantries, try to put them as ease and get them to focus on you and trust you. (As they are in front or a large group of people and about to feel humiliated!) With constant encouragement and quick observation of their movements you make progress developing the simple cast. You don't have time to let them make the same mistake, correct it before the next movement, and the article is right you must stay on the constant positives never negatives.

The points I and others will try to introduce them to are:

Basic pick up and lay down short

A longer pick up and lay down cast

Shooting line

A roll cast

How to use the line hand for landing a fish and use of the reel

Verbal banter amongst most of the instructors to their student consists of Bill Gammels Essentials and Al Kyte's Variables with a little Joan and Lefty thrown in

We also encourage them to continue with practice and suggest joining FFF or any local fly clubs for further help

If a student is focused, can get the wrist control and develops the ability to shoot a little line, (that seems to be the magic movement for lighting them up) we all know we did it for that individual in our 20 minute session. I can't say that I got it done every time but most of the time. I like to think that with teaching the basic casting movement, roll cast and line hand use that person could catch a fish with a fly rod that day. Reality is we are in Chicago in January and there is 10" of snow on the ground! We also don't know how many of that 90% of beginners that we coached that day actually took up fly fishing. I wish we knew but you can't dwell on it. You do your best and hope that your help and comments encouraged the individual to continue learning. Besides having 8' and 9' rods we have the Echo Micro Rods that have a huge visual and kinetic impact on learning pace for certain folks.

The greatest reward for me comes from that 10-14 year old who comes back for three lessons in the same day! They are the ones with the desire and determination to learn to fly fish.

I've been with this study group for about a month now and I'm really enjoying learning and being exposed to tons of great ideas.

tight lines,

Don Pendleton

Gordy,

I've been the lead instructor for the LLBean Fly Fishing Schools in the mid Atlantic region for the last few years and have learned much from MAC. He is definately an expert teacher and his approach does work. It works so well, I now use it in most all my lessons. Part of what makes it successful is getting the rod in student hands right away - no lengthy descriptions and demos that make the eyes glass over and the head spin.

As instructors Mac would have us practice giving the group instruction in just 5 minuest or less!! Simple language and slow deliberate casting. We are there to teach not to show off!! The first cast students practice is what we call the 4-part cast (overhead cast) pick up, back cast, forward cast, presentation. A simple breakdown of the fundamental cast in fly fishing.

Another thing that makes it successful for the LLBean schools is the team teaching approach. Instructors move through students with positive corrections...each trying the different techniques in their bag of tricks. Usually one of the instructors developes a repore with the student and finds just the right technique to bring success. It is just amazing to me how you can take 12 to 16 students (many never having fly cast before) and within just an hour, most will be making good loops.

I must say that as the instructors move through the students we can and do explain more to those that are curious as to why or how it works and sometimes the "artist" types will say "show me that again"..... nothing like being able to taylor the lesson to the individual.

Gary

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

Rob... We'll have the concept of the STOP as a separate discussion topic in the near future. Some of us have been working on a paper in which the physics of what we have been calling the "stop" is discussed.

Basically, the evidence is strong that as soon as we cease to accelerate, the rod is going to unload anyway whether or not we have a true stop as defined by the cessation of all movement.

I'm OK with the idea of using the term PAUSE, though I do feel that when teaching, the word STOP has great value because of its impact on performance.