March 2nd, 1998
Big Names in Fly Casting
Why improve your fly casting? Catch more fish? Have more
fun? Less work? Personal satisfaction?
Improve which part of it? Double-haul? Roll-cast? Presentation?
Accuracy? Why bother, isn't casting just supposed to be a part of
fishing; no big deal? There are, of course, a multitude of answers;
each bringing with them, more questions. But, some want to
improve anyway. So, here's how. The big secret. The inside track.
An old saying relates, "you can't think thoughts without
words." True. We need words to form ideas. More to develop
them. Still more to reach conclusions. So it goes in fly casting. We
need words and names to improve our casting.
One of the things I still look for in teaching are new words or
expressions that will have a meaning to a student. Things like: pull,
push, stop, easy, less effort, smoother. I think you get the idea. To
help someone learn I need to communicate. To 'get through.' To
have what I say seem to make sense. For that I need words. The
better the instructor is, the more words he has to use.
And, just how does this help you? YOU need to learn more
words! Specifically, the names for as many parts of the cast as you
can find. Here is where you can get a bit muddled though. Different
instructors may use different names for different things! Don't let
that even slow you down. Learn all you can; sort them out later.
What can give you some problem is the guy who claims a
certain name for an action, or part of a cast, or type of cast or
mend, is the only name that is right! These should be avoided in
the first place. Yes, them and the names too ...
Once you have a few names for parts of the cast and the areas
you are trying to improve, you can begin to make some progress.
Without them you are doomed to just aimless flailing, thrashing,
whipping, waving, flinging, pitching, hurling ... ~ JC
Feel free to post your views on the FAOL Bulletin Board!

|