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Walter & Group....
HAPPY AND PRODUCTIVE NEW YEAR TO ALL !
[GH] We'll take a break from the physics and detailed mechanics of fly casting and tackle a down to Earth teaching topic.
Let's see how some of you would advise Robin Brown (one our newer members) as you answer his question by tackling those in the little QUIZ at the end of this string :
Master candidates can expect questions of this sort on an oral exam. Floyd Franke served as one of my mentors when I prepared for the exam years ago. He posed several similar scenarios for me to tackle.
[RB} Gordy,
I have a teaching approach question. If you have 10 students, one hour, and want to teach them the basic pick up and lay down cast AND the roll cast, how do you organize your teaching approach? I’m looking for help/suggestions specifically in how you effectively teach the two skills to 10 students in one hour. Thanks!
Robin
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[GH] I purposely avoided coming up with a lesson plan for Robin in order to see how some of you would handle this straight forward teaching challenge. I did, however, send him this message :
" Robin,
I have some comments to make before entering this for discussion by the Group :
There is lack of general agreement among noted fly casting experts on whether or not to teach the roll cast before the basic (foundation) casting stroke is learned.
Joan Wulff, at her school, (and many others) DO teach the roll cast as the very first task. This, however, is a basic "on-the-water-roll-cast", not the aerialized roll cast which she teaches in later sessions.
One good reason she does this, is that it is easy to learn and places the beginning student on an emotional "high" as she tells them after the session, "Now you can actually fly fish !" I think this goes a long way toward her students' success with forthcoming tasks. The second reason for her doing this is that it requires only a forward stroke. No back cast.
When teaching the aereolized (standard) roll cast I like to start knowing that the student has already mastered a decent foundation cast. That makes my job a lot easier as I point out that the forward stroke of the roll cast is essentially the same as the forward basic casting stroke that they have already mastered. To that, of course, I add the basics of the roll cast set-up including rod position, the static "back cast" D-loop, alignment between the fly/leader/line "anchor" in front and the target.
Check the passage in the current edition of the Loop by Paul Arden of Sexyloops. This contains an excellent description of teaching the PICK-UP & LAY-DOWN at a high level of instruction complete with recognition of specific faults which often actually occur.*
Best,
Gordy"
* The Fall 2010 Issue of the LOOP is now available on the following web page :
pp. 40 - 41.
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QUIZ
QUESTIONS : -
1.) Do you teach the roll cast as one of the very first tasks for your new fly casting students ?
2.) Briefly, tell us why.
3.) Do you teach the PICK-UP-&-LAY-DOWN to your new students ?
4.) Briefly, support your decision.
5.) Include a brief outline of your lesson plan for the tasks described by Robin.
If your answered NO to 1.) and/or 3.) then submit an alternative lesson plan outline for your "brand new"students.
Include time (minutes devoted to each event.
6.) Add commentary on how you would actually teach the subjects in your outline. Try to be brief and to the point.
Gordy
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