[Riveraddict]

OK, finally back and settled down from Clavin'/fishin' in Oregon. What a great time, great people, great gathering of Spey talent and camraderie! Fishing was good too! Always awesome to feel the first grab inaugurating summer-run steelheading, and a super thrill to bring the first bit of summer chrome to hand. They shine like dynamite wrapped in thousands of tiny polished mirrors! Taste good too (hatcheries, of course).

For those attending - questions - in the hope of improving my presentation in the future.

I've already been made aware of the fact that I was talking too fast - a byproduct of nervousness on my part, and I appreciate the input. It's not easy standing in front of a bunch of people staring at you! Yikes! I get jittery just thinking about it. Perhaps in 20 more years I will become as smooth and suave as George. What I am wondering is if the high energy output of Skagit casting is evident in the demonstrations. I am getting the feeling that though I point out the fact that the rod I am using is smaller and lighter than the norm for demonstrating, that this fact is not being correlated to the casting being displayed. Does my use of a light, soft rod to cast a weighted fly on a sinktip line clearly illustrate the capabilities of the casting method, or does the use of such an outfit "water down" the speed of the cast enough to make it indistinguishable from other casts? Would the use of a rod more in line with the other demonstrators (15' 9 or 10 weight, floating line) better illustrate comparison of line speed during a cast? Should I change the angle of my casts more downstream, rather than straight across the river? I would certainly appreciate comments, after all, you folks are the ones watching and seeing what is going on. From where I'm standing, I can't really tell the visual effect of what I am doing.

 

[Tayside]

Riveraddict I tried to send you an email but it was returned undeliverable via hotmail. I filmed some of the presentaions at this years Sandy River Spey Clave an I think I have your entire presentaion. If you email me your mailing address I will put the video on DVD and send it to you when I return from my latest fishin trip.

Ian

 

[link]

Yes, back home with a big grin on my face. Met with the gang up here on our weekly session and tried to explain Skagit Casting, even helicoptered the yarn. Lots of blank stares. Printed out your 2001 evolution article to take this week. The information that you read from your notes is extremely important. Any way you can get it posted?
Tayside, if you've got one to spare, it would be most helpful. I'll reimburse any expense.
Yeah, we're solidly hooked.
Thankyou everyone.
Link

 

[Tayside]

Video

Before my mail and pm box fills up with requests for video of Riveraddicts presentation at Sandy River I have to say I will not be making any DVD's other than the one offered to Riveraddict. I made the offer to Riveraddict in response to his request for feedback, relatively new to the two hander and not knowing anything about Skagit casting I did not think it my place to criticize or comment on his presentation hence the offer of the video.



Ian

 

[JDJones]

presentation

Ed,

Don't change a thing. You do what you do, and you do it well. Certainly your choice of rods clearly illustrateds the capabilities of the shorter, lighter rod to easily cast sink tips and large flies. A most difficult task for all but the best of us. Confidence will come, and the nervousness will cease, with time.

 

[link]

Yes, you're absolutly right, should have thought about that.
Sorry. link

 

[flytyer]

Ed,

I agree with JD, don't change a thing because your presentation is very effective at demonstrating and explaining what you are doing. And you will slow down your speaking as the nervousness subsides.

 

[Riveraddict]

!

Thanks for the vote of confidence guys! I'm wondering if a few drams from the contents of a little tin flask might help with the "jitters" thing!

Tayside, thanks for the offer! I think that your DVD would help a lot. I sent my address to your PM box.

 

[metalhead]

skagit jitters

why be nervous?!from all that i have read, you are the master! remember, you can do what we all wish we could do.besides, alittle of the shakes probably helps load the rod.:hehe:

 

[mattzoid]

Geez Ed,

I think maybe you’re being a little hard on yourself. The trouble with teaching something you have done for decades, is trying to explain what comes natural for you. You don’t have to explain it to yourself, you just do it. I can’t stand trying to put into words what I have known and grown up with, my fly fishing. Now if one has been teaching for decades, instead of years, then it may come a little easier.

Now George is a great guy and for the new folks who haven’t heard how he named the snap-T a thousand times, it’s a great story and it sucks you in. Plus, if you watch him teach, with the sound tuned off, there is a lot of body language and acting that is part of the story. I have a feeling though, he has been that way since before his photo was published in Trey Combs’ book, Steelhead Fly Fishing.

You have your own style of teaching, whether you know it or not and it is just as captivating. In the several events I’ve seen you teach in front of a crowd, I never noticed you were nervous as I was too busy hanging on every word you spoke. The time or two I have run into you on the river, you were no different than when you had a crowd staring at you. Friendly, open and willing to impart knowledge at a whim. That alone, takes a lot of heart. Some of the masters show up at these events and never say a word to anyone. 90% of the people have no clue who they are, but all of them are going to know you and what you do. And the next Steelheader bible that comes out, will have a picture of you rubbing George’s bald head.

The idea of having other rods for you to demonstrate with is a good idea. A lot of the other guys, walk up there with several tucked under each arm. The trouble that you may have is that you’re the kind of caster that can just hold a new rod and know how he is going to cast it before you get any line out the tip. I could hand you all nine of my rods and the line will behave the same for each one, when you cast it. Your casting movements may be too subtle for the newbes to see. You may have to exaggerate. Demonstrate a lot of mistake casts. Take lot’s of video of yourself casting and speaking, Play it back from different angles on different casts, etc. That way you will know what you look like and know what has to be changed to teach better. Instant feedback only you have to look at. Do it for hours and hours until it’s what your trying to relay to the crowd.

Then of course, you could just get rid of the big crowds. Break them up into smaller groups. One on one is what everyone wants anyway. Give the quickie class to the hundred or so and then get them into groups of ten or twenty and start laying those rods in their hands. That’s when folks really learn. I’ll bet you could set up small classes with any of the fly shops. Get a lot of those under your belt and teaching would become second nature.

The only problem with that is, it would really take away from your fishing time. And if you are looking at the little pieces of your teaching, instead of the big picture, then I know you are getting just as anxious about June 1 as I am. What did you tell me when I was getting all wrapped up in my Skagit heads and shooting heads? “Stop playing around and go fishing!” I never did thank you for that advice. Thank you for everything you do for our sport, Ed. You are a great teacher.

Matt Burke

 

[Brian Simonseth]

RA

I know what you could do, imageing every one naked it should be easy then.





Thats right 99% of the people there were MAN!:eyecrazy:

My BAD:whoa: