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"All fly casting is self-taught - J. Castwell, 1969.
"Not me, you say. I took casting lessons where I got my fly rod. My reply to that
is this. You may have believed they were teaching you how to cast. Most probably, they believed they were
teaching you how to cast as well. I don't hold with that idea.
I have found I can not teach anyone how to cast a fly rod. I can explain,
show, demonstrate, and in general, attempt to lead a person in the right direction. But, since the
learning takes place in the muscle group separating the students ears; the student is the only one
capable of teaching that 'gray mass of mush' how to string together the necessary
elements to perform a cast.
Whether you read a book, watch a video, or take a lesson, it is YOU who are
processing the information. It is YOU who are deciding if each of the elements are important, and if
so, how to put them im perspective. It is all up to YOU; no one can do the learning for
you!
So where does this lead us? If you wish to get better at fly casting, go ahead
and get a book, a video, or take a class. But, don't expect it to 'soak' in.
Actually work at understanding the names and the terms of each part of a cast. The more titles you can
put on each of the various movements the faster you will be able to "teach yourself". Then go out and try
it. If you get something right; repeat it a few times. If something goes wrong, stop. Don't practice
mistakes, change something until you get it right again.
Remember too, teaching is hard work; and look who ya have for a student besides!
And, don't get discouraged, I have been at the exact point you"re at right now, and lived through it.
~JC
Till next week, remember ...
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