An upslale agrument

[Silver Creek]

Mark O'Meara taught Tiger Woods to fly fish. It is reported that Tiger's learned to double haul the first day.

The lesson here is that pro athletes have what I call super proprioception. This is the ability of the mind to unconsciously know the position and relationship of the body to itself in time and space. For example, when we close our eyes, we can touch our fingers to our nose. Without proprioception we would not know the spatial relationship of our fingers to our nose in space and time.

This ability allows pro athletes to "learn" other skill based sports faster than non athletes. John Elway played both football and baseball at Stanford. He was drafted by the New York Yankees in the second round in 1981 and got 150K for playing summer baseball between his Junior and Senior Year. He could not be on the Stanford baseball team his senior year but he could still quarterback the football team.

[ELHead]

In my family we have a retired semi-pro ball player who wants to start fly fishing and thinks casting well will be a piece of cake.
I contend that skillful casting requires just as much skill as pitching a baseball. Will I win?

I'm sure he will do well. At least in his own mind. Most of us are cock-sure we are far better than our compadres any way, when it comes to our casting.

[tailingloop]

Once upon a time I was ball player and pitcher though not at the professional level giving it up after HS. I think becoming an efficient fly caster is much easier. Body mechanics are important for both but more things need to be managed well and in concert to pitch effectively. Over the years i have observed several athletes from different sports learn to flycast/fish. They all did well though some initially tried to be too forceful, which is common for non athletes too.

[Ray Kunz]

Hurray ! For once most of us agree on something.
But as most guys point out, it all depends on the quality levels you are comparing.

[jcampbell]

I taught my 7 year old grandson to cast a fly and it's a thing of beauty! Perfect timing without a tailing loop. Does that mean he is also going to be a great athlete? Hmmmm.

[qrrfish1]

Once upon a time I was ball player and pitcher though not at the professional level giving it up after HS. I think becoming an efficient fly caster is much easier. Body mechanics are important for both but more things need to be managed well and in concert to pitch effectively. Over the years i have observed several athletes from different sports learn to flycast/fish. They all did well though some initially tried to be too forceful, which is common for non athletes too.

There,s reason why they throw too hard, ever thought about why that is.

[CaseyP]

out of a group of novice ladies one day, the one with the most trouble was a softball player who insisted on trying to throw the rod. "stop at the top" was just not going to happen!
yes, an athlete can master another sport, but sometimes one will interfere with the other.

[saltydancindave]

Neighbor who is in the over 60, 65 & 70 fast pitch leagues bought an LL Bean bass/panfish outfit & was trying to learn to cast after being self taught on a short spinning rod with fly reel & line. He's still trying to grasp the single haul-double haul short tugs without spooling the reel while forgetting to stop the rod in the forward & backcast; like when they teach a ball player to bring baseball & hand up beside the ear & wait in the ready position prior to throwing. At least his overpowered casts whipping the water to a froth are about 25'-30' with just that amount of line out & has caught a few.

[Uncle Jesse]

At least his overpowered casts whipping the water to a froth are about 25'-30' with just that amount of line out & has caught a few.

Isn't that what you are supposed to do? Fish crawl out on the bank to get away from my fly line.

[saltydancindave]

Isn't that what you are supposed to do? Fish crawl out on the bank to get away from my fly line.

Was taught whipping waters to a froth is only good in trout stream fishing getting those fish to crawl out of the water & why missing a strike or rise is so common.............