Habits and Motivation

[Bernd Ziesche]

Add these to your lessons and I ll join every one of them (your lessons).

Best he shaves his leg’s first

These not this, mate.

[Morsie]

“how do you motivate someone to practice?”

How about "You'll enjoy your fishing more, catch more fish, not hook yourself, and look really cool doing it - rather than like an idiot".

Was teaching some guys down in Sydney and a bloke approached to ask about lessons. He was going north to the tropics for the first time. I told him, "Nah, I've already spent $7000 on the trip". Couldn't believe my ears..........

Morsie

[VGB]

I did a trip to Iceland where anglers had the guide casting for them because they couldn’t cope with the wind. I’ve been in the situation where I have had a guided fishing day on a family holiday and haven’t been up to scratch, it really peed me off.

[Paul Arden]

Maybe you’ll get lessons from him when he returns. The reality of seeing the fish but not being able to put the fly in front is usually enough to book some lessons. Although sometimes it takes a few trips.

[VGB]

I’ve been thinking a bit about the motivation piece and think that you have to be able to demonstrate a real benefit to the student if they practice the skills you have taught. In the context of the roll cast thread, if we teach that there’s only 1 right way of delivering a good cast and it doesn’t work in their fishing environment, why would they be motivated to learn a skill that is obviously doomed to failure in that environment:

Moreover, their chances of recalling a taught skill are much reduced if the skill hasn’t been taught in a context relevant environment, even if the context is created by artificial or imaginary means. “Taking the lesson to the fishing” will embed the lesson much better than rote learning of a movement and maybe motivate them to practice with the carrot being that they don’t have to pick their fly out of a tree if they stuff it up.

Going back to Morsie’s dit about wind casts (viewtopic.php?f=8&t=3852&p=68119&hilit=Morsie#p68119) I think the skill that distinguishes good casters for me is their ability to contrive a cast in an unfamiliar setting. Novelty with a tangible fishing gain is another good example of reinforcing the learning process. Maybe once the core control skills are in place setting relevant problem solving challenges may engage students for longer.

Regards

Vince

[Stoatstail50]

How about "You'll enjoy your fishing more, catch more fish, not hook yourself, and look really cool doing it - rather than like an idiot".

All that and practice is free.

Although, thinking about it, looking cool is a stretch

[Paul Arden]

Reminds me of jungle fishing the treed bank in Sungai Tiang. We have to cast through the vegetation from the bank all bow and arrow casting of course.

Which reminds me, if a low roll cast is required, then make it bow and arrow. In fact I believe it’s more effective that side casting and not only because it doesn’t require a backcast.

[VGB]

Although, thinking about it, looking cool is a stretch

It is in Lycra

[VGB]

Hi Paul

Fishing in Sungai Tiang would float my boat more than the floating boat fishing . If I have no backcast, I’ll certainly try a bow and arrow cast, it’s a technique that doesn’t appear in any certification or skills requirement that I’m aware of. If I have room in front of me and enough for a short back cast, I can roll cast a bushy dry a long way upstream with multiple casts, much further than I propel a fly with a bow and arrow cast.

Regards

Vince

[Bernd Ziesche]

Presenting the progress in casting level during the single lesson to the student always worked well for me. Success is fun and feels great. So, I recommend to visualize the success. Yesterday I was teaching a total beginner for 5 hours. In the end he was putting together all key points he learnt and making some smooth hauled distance casts. I picked the best one and said "Hey let's measure distance." He was very happy with 25m being perfectly straight on the grass, as was I. We ended the lesson with that cast. In addition I sent him a video of him hauling very well. He realized his own progress and how quick it came in only one day. In his feedback he thanked me for having been so enthusiastic as well. Seems to me that too is a highly motivating key. It always was to me, too, when I was the student. Enthusiastic teachers loving casting sticked deep with me. Make the lesson be fun!
Oh, and I always make connections to fishing! For example a long proper cast can be stripped in like in fishing and then I may hang on a fish (myself as acting like one). That way I teach a beginner fighting a fish and make the connection to why proper casting increases fun in fishing.
Cheers
B