Loopy

A question for all you fellow instructors. Let’s assume the usual standard of client; beginner to intermediate. They have never had a lesson and have never given the mechanics of fly casting a second thought. The beginner can’t cast, obviously. The intermediate can cast a fly onto the water, in a fashion. He catches fish, he just knows he should be casting better than he is.

With beginners I do an explain and demonstrate emphasising accelerating the line by using casting arc, stroke length and stopping the hand, which, if done correctly, will lead to loop formation. I really emphasise that the whole point of the excercise is to create a dynamic loop.

I have often been astonished at the lack of understanding about what is going on during the cast when I teach intermediates so I often go through the exact same explain and demonstrate to try to flesh out their understanding of what should be happening. Several times I have had the comment ‘you were right about the loop thing’. It can be a real eye opener for some.

I then pass them the rod and see what happens. Sometimes, like last weekend, I hand them the rod and they can make an acceptable cast immediately. I have even had a few beginners ’get it’ almost straight away and the next hour or more is just pure joy. Most don’t ’get it’ immediately though and that’s when the bag of tricks come out, Lee Cummings triangle method, horizontal, etc etc.

I am now quite comfortable doing it this way but I sometimes wonder how others start with new clients.

Care to pass on your method?