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Friday 11 February 2011

Is casting ability a natural talent?

I have been teaching fly fishing on a full-time basis for about 9 or 10 years now and I am still no nearer to deciding if a good caster is born or manufactured.

I have witnessed that, hand eye co-ordination, balance, timing and control are vital components of good casting and I have observed that some people possess these skills more than others. However I have been able to teach all clients to cast sufficiently well to allow them to catch fish, albeit with some having to practice a bit more than others. Having said all that I have to say that some of my clients have latched onto techniques quicker than others and as a result have ended up being better casters.

Take today's lesson with David from Rufford who has been fly fishing for about 2 years but having reached the inevitable ceiling in achieving casting objectives, came to me for help.  His initial casting was very typical of all self-taught casters - more brawn than technique. However once David understood what he was trying to do and then took all the power and effort out of the cast, allowing the rod and line to do the work, his casting really took off. More practise followed establishing this new style and technique even more, to the extent that he was double hauling before the end of the lesson.
So is David more naturally talented than some of my other clients? Maybe, but what made him stand out for me are 2 of the most important characteristics that we all need in order to learn & improve in anything
1/ listening skills - this is a two way street and not just for the client but probably more for the instructor!
2/ desire to do better and mean it!

Thanks David for a great lesson - really enjoyed it!

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