Standard(s): Language Arts, Physical Education, Science

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Standard(s): Language Arts, Physical Education, Science"

Earl Wheeler
6 years ago
Views:

1 Lesson: Cast A Fly, Catch A Student Lesson Number 1 Lesson Title: Basics of Fly Fishing and Equipment Implementation Time: minutes Resource(s): Cast A Fly, Catch A Student Teacher Training Manual Learn How To Fly Fish Textbook Chapters: Fly Rods Fly Reels Fly Lines Leaders Online Version of the Cast A Fly, Catch A Student Lessons: Fly Rod Components and Classification Fly Reel Components Fly Line Classification Leader Classification Materials Needed: 3 Waterscene CasTargets with X- stand, 3 sets of Stick ems (42), Waterscene CasTarget Translators, Fly rods, Fly Reels Lesson Focus Content Knowledge: Basics of Fly Fishing, Fly Rods, Reels, Fly Line, Leader Content Skill(s): Reeling with the left hand, away from the body, always reeling UP, AWAY and then DOWN. Thinking Skill(s): Observing, sequencing, predicting, problem solving Habit(s) of Mind: Working and thinking interdependently, communicating clearly Standard(s): Language Arts, Physical Education, Science Worksheets: Fly Fishing Journal Tight Lines!, Fly Fishing Journal Entry: Traver s Testament, Insects We Imitate, Equipment, Parts of the Fly Line, How To Set Up Fly Lines Learner Outcome(s): What will student s learn as a result of this lesson? The student will know the basic fundamental difference between fly fishing and traditional fishing. Students will know the 3 basic insects imitated in fly fishing (caddisfly, mayfly, stonefly) The student will know and be able to identify 8 components of a fly rod. The student will know and be able to identify 8 components of a fly reel. The student will know and be able to identify the backing, fly line and leader. The Basics of Fly Fishing Key Concepts: Fly fishing is a sport distinct and different from other forms of fishing In fly fishing, you cast the line not the lure Basic equipment: Fly Rods Fly Reels Backing Fly Lines Leaders In fly fishing, insects and small animals (fish, frogs, worms, etc..) are imitated to convince fish to take the lure called a fly 3 Major Aquatic Insects imitated in fly fishing are: Caddisfly Mayfly Stonefly CAFCAS Lesson 1, page 1

2 Procedure (45-55 min): To start hand out the Fly Fishing Journal Tight Lines! Together or in small groups students should read this. Fly Fishing Journal Entry: Traver s Testament can be completed either at the close of the lesson, or done as homework. The Insects We Imitate Relay (20 min): The objective of this activity is to have students understand the fundamentals of fly fishing. Fish eat insects, so man developed imitations of these insects with a weightless lure called flies. How those flies are delivered to the fish is called fly fishing/fly casting. The Insects We Imitate Relay will educate your students about the 3 major aquatic insect species imitated in fly fishing. As a result, students will understand the basic difference between Dry flies (adult insect imitations that are fished on the surface of the water) and Nymphs (immature insect imitations that are fished below the surface of the water.) 1. Handout and refer to the Waterscene CasTarget Translator. 2. Setup the 3 Waterscene CasTargets and divide the class evenly into 3 groups. Handout a Stick em (there are 14 different Stick ems in each set) to every student, they may get more than one. Each group has their own Waterscene CasTarget and stands feet from the Waterscene CasTarget behind a designated line. The teams work together to put the Stick ems back onto the Waterscene CasTarget in the appropriate order using the Waterscene CasTarget Translators as a reference. On your command, one-by-one, each student runs down and places their Stick em on the Waterscene CasTarget in the same location as seen on the Waterscene CasTarget Translator. Then each student runs back to the starting line before the next team member can run down and place their Stick em in the appropriate location on the Waterscene CasTarget. The first team to put all the Stick ems back on the Waterscene CasTarget in the correct order wins! 3. Follow up Introduction Handout real flies; dries, nymphs and other patterns (if you have them.) This provides the students the opportunity to get a sense of different fly patterns, sizes and weights Handout Insect We Imitate Worksheet while discussing the topics below; have each student finish the worksheet. Explain where fly fishing came from people watched fish eating insects off the surface of the water and created flies or imitations using feathers, hair and other natural material to trick the fish into taking the flies. Explain the 3 main insects imitated in fly fishing: (Reference the Waterscene CasTarget Translator) Caddisfly (complete life cycle has 3 stages: larva, pupa and adult) Mayfly (incomplete life cycle has only 2 stages: larva and adult) Stonefly (incomplete life cycle has only 2 stages: larva and adult) All insects start as eggs and hatch into larva and metamorphose from there. Reminder: Adult Insects have wings and live above water, their imitations are called Dry flies and they float on the surface of the water. Larva and Pupa are the immature stages and live under the surface of the water. Larva and pupa imitations collectively are called nymphs and they sink below the surface of the water. All Larva and/or Pupa hatch /metamorphose into mature Adult winged/flying insects that mate above water and the females return to lay eggs back in the water. The Basics of Fly Fishing: Introduce the concept of fly fishing. The fundamental difference between fly fishing and other forms is the fly line casts the lure to the fish, not the weight of the fly/lure. Using the tip of the fly rod, string a small amount of fly line through the tip and show how the fly line can LOAD/bend the rod (on the back cast) and then UNLOAD/unbend it (on the forward cast) to cast the line. CAFCAS Lesson 1, page 2

"Butt Section" Mid Sections" Tip Section" Equipment Introduction to Equipment (15-20 min): References: See the back of the Waterscene CasTarget Translator Online version of the Cast A Fly, Catch A

of the Fly Line Worksheet. Have each student follow along and fill in the blanks as you review the fly rod, fly reel and fly line.

Fly Rod Components (5 min) Fly Rod Classification: Length and Weight, see rod: (the fly line weight balances with the rod) High School Rods: 8 1/2 long, #5 fly line weight Middle School Rods: 8 long,

used in making the cast, and is not used to retrieve the lure/fly for the next cast.

3 "Butt Section" Mid Sections" Tip Section" Equipment Introduction to Equipment (15-20 min): References: See the back of the Waterscene CasTarget Translator Online version of the Cast A Fly, Catch A Student Lesson Plans NFSP Teacher Training Manual Learn How To Fly Fish textbook Divide the class evenly into 10 groups; hand each group both a rod and reel and the Equipment Worksheet and the Parts of the Fly Line Worksheet. Have each student follow along and fill in the blanks as you review the fly rod, fly reel and fly line. As an alternative, each student can draw the equipment in their fishing journals and label the correct components. Fly Rod Components (5 min) Fly Rod Classification: Length and Weight, see rod: (the fly line weight balances with the rod) High School Rods: 8 1/2 long, #5 fly line weight Middle School Rods: 8 long, #4 fly line weight Components of the Fly Reel (5 min) Key points : In NFSP the main purpose of the fly reel is to hold the fly line; unlike other forms of fishing, in fly fishing, the reel is not used in making the cast, and is not used to retrieve the lure/fly for the next cast. Discuss the 3 hands used in Fly Fishing Rod Hand: the hand they will use to operate the rod Reel Hand: the hand that operates the reel Line Hand: the line hand is opposite the rod hand and is used to fish the fly, catch fish and assist in casting extra line. A fly Reel hangs/sits underneath the rod (not on top) Show students how to put the reel on the rod butt; the REEL S HANDLE IS ALWAYS ON THE LEFTSIDE EVERYONE REELS LEFT HANDED in this course ALWAYS REEL UP, AWAY and then Down (have students practice this by mimicking you holding the rod and reeling UP, AWAY and then DOWN with their left hand.) Each student should practice this. CAFCAS Lesson 1, page 3

4 FLY REELS CONTINUED: * SUGGESTION: TO DISCOURAGE REELING THE WRONG WAY, TIGHTEN THE DRAG ON EACH REEL. Turning the Adjustable Drag to the RIGHT TIGHTENS the DRAG and turning it to the LEFT LOOSENS the DRAG. Fly Line Parts (5 min) Key point: Generally, everything in fly fishing tapers from fat to thin; i.e.; the fly rod, fly line and the leader. The purpose of the BACKING is to take up space on the reel. FLY LINE is what casts the fly to the fish. The LEADER is the less-visible connection to the fly. Optional (normally for application in High Schools) Introduction to Fly Line Classification For example: WF-5-F Taper (WF, DT, etc ) describes the shape of the fly line along its length Weight of Fly Line (000 wt 15 wt) (weight of fly line is standardize and simply means how much the physical weight of the first 30ft weighs in grains, really, this is insignificant, we just want to our students to know FLY LINE WEIGHTS BALANCE WITH A FLY ROD OF THE SAME WEIGHT. Buoyancy (F-Floating, S- Sinking, F/S- Floating/Sinking). Most fly lines purchased today are floating lines. The fly lines used in NFSP are floating fly lines. Fly line weights are designed to be balanced with a fly rod of the same weight classification. Different fly rod weights and matching lines are used to catch different species of fish. A 8 6, 5wt is a very standard length and weight for beginning freshwater fly fishers. What weight fly rod and fly line to use is influenced by the size of the fly(s) being used and the size of the fish being sought. Introduction to Leader Classification For example: 9, 5X Length - standard lengths are 7 1/2, 9, 12 Tippet size/diameter described/classified with an X numerical designation 7 5 long, with 2X-4X is a good general length and size for most regular fishing. Note: the shorter the leader the easier it is to turnover. Turnover - describes the fly line, leader and fly unrolling above and behind the caster (as a desirable result of the back cast) and in front of the caster (upon completion of the forward cast) *Note: If you haven t marked your fly lines yet, this is a great time to do it with your class, refer to the How To Set Up Fly Lines sheet. Closure/Assessment (10 min): After equipment is put away, the class will meet to review the fly rod components, fly reel components, fly line components and the 3 main insect species imitated in fly fishing: Caddisfly, Mayfly and Stonefly. CAFCAS Lesson 1, page 4

5 Inquiry/FlyFishing Journal Entry Key Question(s): 1. What is the difference between fly fishing and other forms of fishing? Cast the line, not the lure 2. How do you know what weight rod you are using? The weight is written on the rod, just above the rod grip. 3. How does the weight of the line relate to the rod weight? Fly line has to balance with the weight of the rod, if you use a 5 wt. fly rod, you use a 5wt fly line. 4. What hand do you operate the reel with? Left (in this course) 5. Which direction do you always reel? UP, AWAY and then DOWN Conservation Note: Each day in small groups have students review the Leave No Trace (LNT) cards and answer Conservation Note questions: 1. What is Leave No Trace? An ethic to follow when spending time outdoors 2. What is Leave No Trace s 1 st ethic when fishing? Plan ahead and prepare 3. Why is it important to plan ahead and be prepared when going out fishing? So you know the regulations and learn about the resources you re using and proper etiquette when catching fish in a particular location. 4. Why are fishing licenses important? Licenses are important because revenue from their sales help our state and federal wildlife agencies care for the natural resources and sustain them for future use. Additional Journal Entry: Fly Fishing Journal Entry: Traver s Testament CAFCAS Lesson 1, page 5

6 Fly Fishing Journal Tight Lines! Walk into any sizeable and reputable book store, and you wouldn t be surprised if you located an entire section of books on, say, football. You might be surprised, however, that there exists an entire section on not merely fishing but fly fishing. In fact, the number of books devoted to fly fishing often is large; fly fishing, for a host of reasons, is itself a strong lure for those who value personal reflection and writing. Robert Traver, John Gierach, Norman Maclean and Steve Raymond are just some of the writing talents who have been drawn to fly fishing above all other pursuits. What is it that they are drawn to? What exactly is the beauty and art they write about? These are just two of the questions we will be trying to answer through our own personal reflection and writing in your personalized journal. Furthermore, there is the practical side, the scientific side, and the mechanical side of understanding how to fly fish you need not be a literary giant or even a fan of one to find enjoyment in fly fishing. For everyone, including those like Traver and Gierach, it is safe to say that it all boils down to the water swirling around, light s dancing reflections off of water, and all the sounds and smells of the natural world around us. Notice that there is no mention of fish. Task: Every day throughout your fly fishing unit, you will be asked to make entries in your fly fishing journal. Some of the various tasks may include: Reflective responses Reading responses Self- and peer evaluations of casting, etc. Notes and diagrams concerning equipment, invertebrate life cycles, etc. Assessment: Grading will be based on completeness, accuracy, neatness and thoroughness. Include the date and title of the journal entry at the top of each page. Exceeds Expectations Meets Expectations Needs Improvement Incomplete (3) (2) (1) (0) Neatness and care are evident in all journal responses. The date and entry title is included with each entry. Adequate neatness and care are evident. Some entries appear brief. The date and entry title is included with each entry. Many entries are brief and/or rushed. Neatness and care are not often evident in responses. Dates and titles are sometimes missing. Many entries are missing. All responses are thorough and reveal much thought and reflection. Almost all responses are thorough and reveal much thought and reflection. Only some responses are thorough and reveal thought and reflection. Most entries do not reveal thought and reflection. CAFCAS Lesson 1, page 6

7 Name Fly Fishing Journal Entry: Traver s Testament Task: Read Robert Traver s famous Testament of a Fisherman and answer the reading questions in your Fly Fishing Journal for discussion. Most questions are open-ended and require reflection more than analysis, so there will be many right answers. Testament of a Fisherman Robert Traver I fish because I love to: because I love the environs where fish are found, which are invariably beautiful, and hate the environs where crowds of people are found, which are invariably ugly; because of all the television commercials, cocktail parties, and assorted social posturing I thus escape; because, in a world where most men seem to spend their lives doing things they hate, my fishing is at once an endless source of delight and an act of small rebellion; because fish do not lie or cheat and cannot be bought or bribed or impressed by power, but respond only to quietude and humility and endless patience; because I suspect that men are going along this way for the last time, and I for one don t want to waste the trip; because mercifully there are no telephones on the water; because only in the woods can I find solitude without loneliness; because bourbon out of an old tin cup always tastes better out there; because maybe one day I will catch a mermaid; and, finally, not because I regard fishing as being so terribly important but because I suspect that so many of the other concerns of men are equally unimportant and not nearly so much fun. Reading Questions: 1. Fly fishing has a culture apart from that of other modes of fishing. According to Robert Traver, describe in your own words what beliefs, values and actions comprise the spirit of this unique culture. 2. What are anglers drawn to and how are they drawn? 3. What is the goal of fly fishing? What, in particular, is not the goal of fly fishing? CAFCAS Lesson 1, page 7

8 Insects We Imitate Relay Relay: The team to place all the Stick ems in the correct order on the Waterscene CasTarget, wins! Step 1: Teacher divides the class up evenly into 3 teams and hands out each of the 14 different Stick ems one, or more, to each student. Step 2: Each team works together to put the Stick ems back onto the Waterscene Target in the appropriate order using the Waterscene CasTarget Translator. Teacher will signal with a whistle the start of the relay. Step 3: Each team member will run down and place their Stick em in the appropriate location on the Waterscene CasTarget and run to the back of the line. This is repeated until the whole target is full of all the Stick ems in the appropriate location. First team to place them back in the appropriate order (as on the Waterscene CasTarget Translator) wins! TEAM #1 Team #1 Runner TEAM #2 Team #2 Runner TEAM #3 Team #3 Runner CAFCAS Lesson 1, page 8

9 Name Fly Fishing Journal - Insects We Imitate Using the Waterscene CasTarget Translator, label each blank with the name of the insect or fly to which it correlates. Or, draw and create your own diagram and label them in your journal. CAFCAS Lesson 1, page 9

"Butt Section" Mid Sections" Tip Section" Name Fly Fishing Journal

a reference, fill in the blanks to identify the components of the

Or, draw and create your own diagram and label the parts in your

What is the length and weight of the rods used in your class? 2.

10 "Butt Section" Mid Sections" Tip Section" Name Fly Fishing Journal Equipment Using the back of the Waterscene CasTarget Translator as a reference, fill in the blanks to identify the components of the fly rod and fly reel. Or, draw and create your own diagram and label the parts in your journal. FLY ROD COMPONENTS FLY REEL COMPONENTS 1. What is the length and weight of the rods used in your class? 2. In which direction do you always operate the reel? 3. What s the main purpose of the reel in the NFSP? CAFCAS Lesson 1, page 10

11 Name Fly Fishing Journal Parts of the Fly Line Using the back of the Waterscene CasTarget Translator as a reference, identify the parts of the fly line by labeling each blank with the proper name to complete the diagram. Or, draw and create your own diagram and label the parts of the fly line in your journal. 1. What is the purpose of the backing? 2. What is the purpose of the fly line? 3. What is the purpose of the leader? CAFCAS Lesson 1, page 11

12 How To Set Up Fly Lines Here's how to setup the fly lines for the Cast A Fly, Catch A Student curriculum: 1. Fly lines come pre-wound on your fly reels (reels are set up for using the left hand to retrieve). 2. The fly lines are the appropriate weight to fit the size of the rod and reel provided. 3. A major key to teaching your students how to fly cast is to have them keep a uniform amount of fly line in front of the tip of the rod as they cast. This consistency allows a caster to have the appropriate amount of weight to bend/ load the rod as the cast is conducted. 4. As a general guideline, the amount of line to use is about 3 times the length of the fly rod (this "rule of thumb" includes the leader, which should be between 4-5' long indoors, and no more than 7 6 outdoors, when working with beginner casters.) 5. To assist you and the student in knowing how much line to use for casting, the fly lines should be "color coded" with RED permanent marker; some lines may already have this color coding; if not, follow the instructions below to mark them yourself or have your students assist you: Middle School rod: High School rod: Fly Line Setup 8, 4 wt. 8'6, 5 wt. Question: How does the caster visually know how much fly line should be in front of their rod tip before starting a cast? Answer: By lining up the 1st color-coded RED marker on the fly line with the rod tip How much fly line should be in front of the caster's rod tip before starting each cast? Where should the fly line be marked in RED permanent marker with a 4" long solid line to identify this point? 18' (+/- 23' w. leader) 17' 10" to 18' 2" back from the tip of the fly line where the leader connects to the fly line 18' (+/- 23' w. leader) 17' 10" to 18' 2" back from the tip of the fly line where the leader connects to the fly line Question: How does the caster visually know how much fly line should be in "the pile" when shooting line? Answer: By lining up the 1st color-coded RED marker on the fly line with the rod tip and pulling about 3' of line off the reel so the 2nd RED marker sits on the line guard of the reel Where should the fly line be marked in RED magic marker with a 4" long solid line to identify this point? How far should the caster stand from the target? to 28' 2" back from the tip of the fly line where the leader connects to the fly line 28' 4" to 28' 8" back from the tip of the fly line where the leader connects to the fly line about 25-26' about 26-27' LEADER FLY LINE 1st Red Marker 17' 10" to 18' 2" back from the tip of the fly line where the leader connects to the fly line 2nd Red Marker to 28 2 or 28' 4" to 28' 8" back from the tip of the fly line where the leader connects to the fly line CAFCAS Lesson 1, page 12

knots properly Standard(s): Physical Education, Language Arts

knots properly Standard(s): Physical Education, Language Arts Lesson: Cast A Fly, Catch A Student Lesson Number 2 Lesson Title: Knots and Leaders Implementation Time: 45-55 minutes Resource(s): Cast A Fly, Catch A Student Teacher Training Manual Learn How To Fly