Instructing left handed beginning tiers?

[whatfly]

Will be leading the annual beginning tying class soon and I know there will be at least one left handed tier in the class. Most left handed fly fishers I know tie right handed, so they do not have to deal with the bias of most teaching techniques and pattern instructions. But I've had students who are so left hand dominant that they can't readily shift hands and other than the generic "just tie in reverse" recommendation, I've never quite known how to deal with this issue.

For those of you who have taught fly tying, how do you deal with left handed beginners in your class? Any hints on how to make these folks feel more comfortable with the learning process?

Thanks.

[WarrenP]

In my classes I always have the left handed tyer to sit directly across from me and that has always worked very well.

[JeffHamm]

Hi,

Although this doesn't help when you're demonstrating something, when you are "talking them through it", do not refer to your right and left hands as "right" and "left". Call the hand that uses the bobbin (typically the right hand) the "working hand" and the left hand becomes the "helping hand" (it holds the material in place, etc).

For example, let's say you're tying a Parson's Glory (a matuku pattern we often teach in beginers classes). When getting to the binding of the feather wing along the top of the hook, things become, hold the feather along the top of the hook with your helping hand. This will be the wing. Next, grab the rib with your working hand and bring it up over the far side then over the top of the shank and carefully through the fibres of the wing. Continue to wind the rib up the shank of the hook and through the wing until you reach the head. Switch the rib to you helping hand and use the working hand to tie the rib in with the bobbin ...

Anyway, you get the idea. By using terms like "working hand" and "helping hand" the students will not have to translate left to right and right to left. Also, directions of wrapping should also be referenced to the hook ie. towards the eye, towards the bend not "to the right" or "to the left".

It's important to make sure everyone sets up their vice so the hook is pointing towards the working hand! So make sure your lefty sets their vice up "the same way but different" to everyone else.

To demonstrate a procedure, for large scale stuff you can set your vice directly opposite them and have them play "mirror".

- Jeff

[Eight Thumbs]

Jeff,

That's the best advice I've ever heard on lefty/righty instruction. I will start using that on any new students in the future. Thanks for the tip. 8T

[Extremely Low Budget FF]

Jeff

That is great advise.


BTW I also have the left handed student sit directly accross the table from me. It seems to work well. Now with a change in vocabulary it should even go easer.

Ed