Double Haul...More

Walter & Group.............

From Jerry Puckett:-

Gordy,

 

On Chris Dores's student learning the double haul.  Is this a condition that has been evaluated medically regarding the potential of coordinate use with both arms and hands?

Will this be a permanent condition or one available to the learning curve?

 

I might add this one to the possible bags of tricks, one I devised on the spur of the moment with a strong man in West Yellowstone who was attending a square dance. Square dance music was playing in the background while we were teaching a group at the casting pond.  I call it the "Double Haul Dance!"

 

The man was trying mightily to coordinate the double haul with wild movements without success.   He stated he could never learn the doulbe haul and I could feel his frustration in his voice. So in front of the crowd I ask his permission to dance.  The look of surprise was priceless.  He laughed and said "sure."  Of course permission is very important with this one and a statement such as, "would you be comfortable with the double haul dance?"  Or the one I used, "I am in touch with my feminine side and secure in my manhood" may open laugh possibilities. Then one can explain this method of double haul teaching!   So to the music in the background I took his right hand in my left and his left hand in my right, and in time the music, guide him through the double haul motions for a several relaxed repetitions and then ask him to lead me where I was able to offer subtle corrections.   Fly fishers can dance!

 

I thanked him for his excellent efforts and willingness to learn and gave him his rod.  He immediately started an acceptable double haul!  Not fast but slow and he built upon it and had gained a coordinated double haul!   He was so excited He ran up in front of everyone and gave me a good old bear hug!  Now this man was dressed and looked John Wayne!  About squeezed the wind out of me!  For me this was and is a priceless teaching moment!

 

Suggestion, for this to work it helps to be able to double haul with both hands, great is not needed, just going through the motions slowly may start the coordinated learning process.  One will know if it is working when you ask the student to lead!  So this is one advantage to practicing with both hands and very necessary if one is to try the "Double Haul Dance!"  Find a teaching partner and practice this one, I think you will find it a useful teaching trick to put in your bag!

 

I am not sure this will help Chris but thought I would share it!  I will be glad to show the "Double Haul Dance" to anyone if we meet and reminded to do so!  I will even throw in some fancy foot moves for entertainment value!

 

I am really happy and excited that Chris shared this one with us and hope he will follow up with his discoveries so we can all learn.

 

Thanks, Jerry Puckett

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

 

Jerry...

I don't have the answers to the the questions in your first paragraph.  Either way, Chris must make the best of what coordination the fellow has.

 

Several years ago, Dave Sylvester, Bob Andreae, My son and his friends and I made a trip to Venezuela fly fishing for marlin. While there, one evening, my son, Frank and nephew, Cliff got on the stage and to the beat of the music, started doing the, "DOUBLE HAUL DANCE". Twinkle toes and all.

 

 There were over 100 people in that dance hall.  Infection set in and before you knew it, many were doing it.  After about 10 minutes, everybody in the hall took it up.  Even the bar tenders.  We marveled at the perfect, "down-ups" which were made to the cadence of the music !!!!!!!!!!! 

 

 I'm sure not one of these locals were fly fishermen or had the slightest idea that what they were doing so well had any relationship to fishing.

 

As Joan Wulff said on p. 49 of her, .....FLY CASTING TECHNIQUES,  " Is That Dancin " ?  ( Joan was my neice's dancing instructor years ago.) 

 

Gordy   

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

 

Mack Brown briefly relates the, "down-up" movement of the haul to that of a bouncing ball.  (Mack Brown, CASTING ANGLES, p. 121 Paragraph 2)   I happen to like that one, because it gives the idea of a forceful downward movement followed by the passive return of the ball (no effort on the part of the, "bouncer") just as the line is pulled up into the guides of the rod with the hand simply following.   (no pushing a string up into a hole, here !)

 

The word picture being, "PULL IT DOWN AND FOLLOW IT UP".

 

This is one reason why fastening a long rubber band to the stripper guide arms helps to teach the double haul very well for some folks who otherwise have trouble with it.

 

Gordy

 

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