Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Fly Casting Lessons in New England: Film Don't Lie

I suspect many people do not know that I played football at Iowa State University.  In the late 1980's, our conference was called the Big Eight (now Big 12).  The conference was dominated by national powerhouse teams such as Nebraska and Oklahoma. My first game played in college was in the Super Dome, located in New Orleans.  I played against great athletes such as Keith Jackson, Barry Sanders, and many other future NFL players. Overall, it was a great experience and taught me many things that have helped me succeed in life. One of those things was the act of self-examination (watching hours and hours of practice/game film).  I can still remember my coach saying, "we'll see, film don't lie." This was often said because many players believed they executed their task with proper technique, but according to film, that was not always true. Likewise, many anglers believe they are using proper casting technique, but once again, "film don't lie," or in this case, "video don't lie."



As an IFFF certified casting instructor, I have an arsenal of teaching tools and gadgets -- all can play a major role in the development of your casting stroke and casting techniques.  The one tool that can dramatical accelerate students progress is the use of video, followed by constructive analysis.
 



As I previously mentioned, "video don't lie."  To the trained eye, these videos show strengths and weaknesses
 -- he's a beginner, this is his first attempt at casting, he will soon find his rhythm.  If you notice, the student is shaking his head because after an hour of instruction, including video analysis, he is now in the process of self-correcting -- he immediately understands and is communicating to me, that his forward stroke needs attention/correction (when I can get students to self-correct, and explain the corrections to me, I know that I am doing my job well).

Fly Casting Lessons: Single and Two Hand
 
We offer three distinct casting classes (1X, 2X, 3X), single or two hand rods, on-water and in-water, ranging from beginner to advance level.  If your are a true beginner, we recommend taking these classes in sequence, over a short period of time.  Also, regardless of your skill level, if your time is limited, we can blend these classes, creating a one day event -- think 1X class in the morning, followed by a restful lunch break, and then finishing with the 2X program (please ask for more details).  For maximum time and attention, class size ranges from one to four students only (we absolutely refuse to herd you into a large class format).  For more information about lessons, please visit: http://firstcastflyfishing.blogspot.com/p/lessons-guiding_22.html

Thanks and looking forward to working with you.

Gone Fishing,

Mark