Structuring multiple lessons

[Paul Arden]

If I’m really focussed on the task at hand that focus then becomes narrow. That why people who are on their phones all the time walk into lampposts, or have car crashes. If I’m in competition I doubt I’ll even know you are there.

I agree Mark, a visual target is best. But when we can’t watch the one behind we can use the one in front to cast straight back. In other words we cast away from a target we can see, to an imaginary one we can’t see. That has to be taught and trained IMO. It’s also key to throwing at a moving fish.

By “sequencing” do you mean pattern or the sequencing of lessons?

Cheers, Paul

[Stoatstail50]

I mean sequencing of lessons.

[VGB]

If I’m really focussed on the task at hand that focus then becomes narrow. That why people who are on their phones all the time walk into lampposts, or have car crashes.

That is because all of their cognitive capacity is taken up with extracting information from their focus of attention. If you are conducting your task autonomously, you have spare capacity for other tasks.

regards

Vince

[Paul Arden]

I mean sequencing of lessons.

I think it has everything to do with sequencing of lessons. For me it would go something like loop control exercises watching back and forward loops. Then very much later (many months, if not in fact years) I would start with hitting targets in the vertical without watching the backcast, but using forward cues, over a number of lessons. Soon afterwards I would move to all planes, triangulating, possibly. even in the same lesson.
There is certainly a long time frame involved between the first two, but it is still sequencing of lessons! In fact it's undoubtedly the next course or even the one after.

Cheers, Paul

[Stoatstail50]

I usually have someone working at targets pretty early, not usually straight away but I think John had a point when he said the objective is to get the fly into the desired area.

I think there are quite a lot of ways to do this. So, if the basic underpinning principle of a lesson or sequence of lessons is to develop a wide range of control, I’m unlikely to focus a caster on refining a narrow one. This might mean sacrificing accuracy for adaptability but it widens the experience of the caster under instruction so that they are more confident in attempting a cast out on the water that fits the conditions.

[Paul Arden]

I agree with that Mark. However there is always something above and beyond our grasp. There are many people who have developed a wide range of control but still want to be better. If you have the same student over a long enough time frame you pass through this. I think we go from the loop organising the body, to organising the body first and the loop last.

Cheers, Paul

[VGB]

There are many people who have developed a wide range of control but still want to be better. If you have the same student over a long enough time frame you pass through this. I think we go from the loop organising the body, to organising the body first and the loop last.

Define “better”? It’s about as objective as saying something is greener.

Regards

Vince

[Paul Arden]

That’s a very bizarre argument Vince. The definition of better is “more desirable, satisfactory, or effective:”. If we don’t know what that is then I don’t know why they are coming for a lesson!

I’m still improving. My shots are getting tighter. And I’ve just figured out a way to increase the distance of the Snakehead Shot, which I now need to train. My overpowered shots around babies is excellent off the right shoulder, less so off the left. This is something I’m training too. That’s why we train; to improve our game.

I’ve definitely seen an uptick in my casting these past weeks. It’s nice to be casting at Freerisers again. You can measure improvements in all sorts of ways. That’s how they end up being competitions. My whole fishing right now is about putting shots in. That’s mostly about speed and tightness to target.

Right, I think I might shift the boat down the lake. Mika and Satu are off now and I have a week of supplies!

Cheers, Paul

[VGB]

The definition of better is “more desirable, satisfactory, or effective:”. If we don’t know what that is then I don’t know why they are coming for a lesson!

Is better for me a longer snakehead shot, or a more consistent dry fly delivery from 20ft to a rising fish under an overhanging willow? Why would I need to organise my body first to get better at it?

Dartmoor for me this weekend.

Regards

Vince

[Paul Arden]

Best would be both! Many anglers don’t have either cast at the beginning. As you know I teach the full complement of presentation casts and mends, as well as loops and rod in all planes. Beginners, instructors and competition casters get a more restricted lessons structure. Most of my students however get it all. How would you structure a complete course over a year for someone who comes in at 70-80’ for example? They fish rivers, streams and warm saltwater.

Cheers, Paul