A lesson with Lefty

On Wed, 18 Jan 2006 07:07:47 -0800, "Tom Nakashima"
wrote:

The International Sportsmen Expo this past weekend was pretty darn good for
me. I finally got to meet Lefty Kreh in person and watch his demonstration.
He put to rest a lot of questions I've had and some of the questions that
were asked in roff. Lefty is quite a character and for his age of 81, his
senses and skills are still very keen.

I'm going to the Atlanta show this weekend and he'll be there. I finally got to
meet him last year and got him to autograph one of his books that I 'just
happened' to have with me. g I still don't have the nerve to volunteer to be a
casting 'lesson', though - good for you that you did.
--
Charlie...
http://www.chocphoto.com

"Tom Nakashima" wrote in message
...

"Dave Mohnsen" wrote in message
k.net...

"Tom Nakashima" wrote in message
...
The International Sportsmen Expo this past weekend was pretty darn good
for me. I finally got to meet Lefty Kreh in person and watch his
demonstration.
(snip)
He told me he doesn't
want to see anyone get this problem as his casting style is almost
sideways -tom
Hi Tom,
Good for you. And it was brave of you to volunteer. I've met him a
couple times. . .must have been shows. (heh . . .heh . . .and I'm sure
he would remember me) My questions usually took the form of pretty much
some alien language . . . but he was courteous.
Glad you got to play . .in front of a lot of folks.
You'll keep this memory)
BestWishes,
DaveMohnsen
Denver
(uhh . . . and I've always seen his cast as quite a bit to the side . . .
where animals,birds, insects, and plants quiver at my approach . . .and
cast . . .apparently no problem to the fish though . . .they just ignore
me)


Thanks Dave,
I wonder myself if I scare the fish more than I present a good fly.
-tom




Probably not you as he was a Caucasian guy, who Lefty said looked like he
was chopping wood, when I went by. After a couple of minutes the guy was
casting farily well.

On Wed, 18 Jan 2006 13:16:30 -0800, "Tom Nakashima"
wrote:


wrote in message
.. .
On Wed, 18 Jan 2006 11:32:25 -0800, "Tom Nakashima"
wrote:


wrote in message
...
On Wed, 18 Jan 2006 07:07:47 -0800, "Tom Nakashima"
wrote:

SNIP

Glad you had a good time. Did ya feel all stimulated, targeted, and
ready, willing, and able to buy? G

Not at all did I feel stimulated, targeted or willing to buy, I already
know
the intention of the vendors at these shows, I don't even eat there. I
just
went to see the "Man".
-tom


Hmmm...a touchy subject, but I wish people wouldn't consider guys like
Lefty Kreh the "Man." Not because of him or anything about him - he's a
decent enough guy with a great deal of fishing and casting experience,
but casting and fishing aren't such to produce "superstars," albeit the
fans can certainly do so. And to their detriment, IMO.

The term "Man" is just an expression, just like you using "R"

No, it isn't...at all...well, unless he changes his name and starts
posting to ROFF using "M" as a sign-off...

Lefty is indeed like you said "knows a great deal of fishing and casting
experience" and explains his principals and techniques very well. I
actually learned quite a bit in his presentation.


Reaching the top tier of many sports is objectively and simply out of
the range of all but a relatively few people. They simply aren't
physically equipped, and cannot become physically equipped, by means
fair or foul, to reach it, regardless of choices they might make. But
skills and "tricks" such as practiced upon, developed, and learned by
Kreh are well within the reach of most people, should they make the
choice to practice and develop them. Becoming an excellent, even "top
tier" caster is well within the physical reach of a good many people,
and becoming a good fisher all the more so.

TC,
R

I'm not sure Left Kreh is at the top of his tier anymore at age 81,

Let's just say that he might not be as good as he once was, but he's as
good once as he ever was...and here's the cool thing - you can be,
too...

just by
nature that skills start to decline with age as I'm sure you already know.
As I mentioned earlier, he now has rotator cuff (from casting). He is
however still very sharp, and a great communicator.
I have been spending some time at the Golden Gate Casting Club. One thing I
noticed is there are many darn good casters out there, most unknown.

Much as is one B. "Lefty" Kreh to the great majority of folks in the US,
not to mention those on this planet...well, at least until his version
of "Oops, I Did It Again" goes into heavy rotation on MTV...

I also
noticed Fly-fishing is not limited on physical features of having to be
muscular or regardless of gender as in other sports, and with a little
patients and practice, anyone can put what they have learned to use on the
water.

Now there's an idea, while sounding, well, familiar, that has some real
merit...I just can't having a sense of deja vu, though...

Oh, btw: I notice you don't use your real name when posting, R who? can I
call you "The Man"?

Can you? I guess you can, as you have already indicated that you are
entirely capable of doing so. MAY you? No, you may not...it's "MISTER
The Man"...or "Baba Ganoush"...I like eggplant, so I guess I can live
with that...and if you desire, you may shorten it to simply
"Baba"...actually, that gives me an idea...if Ras Tafari can be HIM, you
can just call me "HIM"...

TC,
Baba, HIM, R (which, in the instant context, I guess would be
"reigning"...)

wrote in message
...

Can you? I guess you can, as you have already indicated that you are
entirely capable of doing so. MAY you? No, you may not...it's "MISTER
The Man"...or "Baba Ganoush"...I like eggplant, so I guess I can live
with that...and if you desire, you may shorten it to simply
"Baba"...actually, that gives me an idea...if Ras Tafari can be HIM, you
can just call me "HIM"...

TC,
Baba, HIM, R (which, in the instant context, I guess would be
"reigning"...)


English 1A ;-)
-tom

"Calif Bill" wrote in message
ink.net...


Probably not you as he was a Caucasian guy, who Lefty said looked like he
was chopping wood, when I went by. After a couple of minutes the guy was
casting farily well.

I was there on Saturday while Lefty was giving his 11:30am seminar.
-tom

"Charlie Choc" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 18 Jan 2006 07:07:47 -0800, "Tom Nakashima"

wrote:

The International Sportsmen Expo this past weekend was pretty darn good
for
me. I finally got to meet Lefty Kreh in person and watch his
demonstration.
He put to rest a lot of questions I've had and some of the questions that
were asked in roff. Lefty is quite a character and for his age of 81, his
senses and skills are still very keen.

I'm going to the Atlanta show this weekend and he'll be there. I finally
got to
meet him last year and got him to autograph one of his books that I 'just
happened' to have with me. g I still don't have the nerve to volunteer
to be a
casting 'lesson', though - good for you that you did.
--
Charlie...
http://www.chocphoto.com

Charlie,
you can approach Lefty at the TFO booth if you don't want to confront him in
front of a crowd. It's good sometimes to get constructive criticism and find
out where you stand with your casting.
Last year I met Steve Rajeff.
About me, if I can benefit from it, I'm going to do it, regardless what
others may think.
-tom

On Thu, 19 Jan 2006 06:37:34 -0800, "Tom Nakashima"
wrote:

Charlie,
you can approach Lefty at the TFO booth if you don't want to confront him in
front of a crowd. It's good sometimes to get constructive criticism and find
out where you stand with your casting.

I talked to him last year at the TFO booth and he had me try out an 8wt. He
didn't have anything really bad to say, but I'm not sure how much attention he
was paying. g He also spent some time in one of the local fly shop's booth
signing autographs. He was on the schedule to give a photography talk but for
some reason it didn't happen the day I was there.
--
Charlie...
http://www.chocphoto.com

"Charlie Choc" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 19 Jan 2006 06:37:34 -0800, "Tom Nakashima"

wrote:

Charlie,
you can approach Lefty at the TFO booth if you don't want to confront him
in
front of a crowd. It's good sometimes to get constructive criticism and
find
out where you stand with your casting.

I talked to him last year at the TFO booth and he had me try out an 8wt.
He
didn't have anything really bad to say, but I'm not sure how much
attention he
was paying. g He also spent some time in one of the local fly shop's
booth
signing autographs. He was on the schedule to give a photography talk but
for
some reason it didn't happen the day I was there.
--
Charlie...
http://www.chocphoto.com

The thing I like about Left Kreh is that he's a great instructor and
communicator with both novice and experienced casters. There's always
something he can point out even if it's the slightest. I went home and
tried out some of the things from his lecture, it really works.

Oh, to get memory coils out of the line, his demo was standing on the line
and pulling up with both hands stretching the line ever so slightly as you
work through the reel.

The other is the roll cast. Most casters aren't bringing the line in far
enough before they make the cast. His rule of thumb, if you can't touch the
end of the line (minus the leader and tippet) with your rod tip, you're not
in far enough. Sure enough I tried it and I easily put out a 50' rollcast.
No other experienced caster told me this, but now that I see it, it's as
plain as day.

Most of the other principals I already knew, so I won't even go there, but
it's good to get a reminder.
-tom

"Tom Nakashima" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
...
SNIP
The other is the roll cast. Most casters aren't bringing the line in far
enough before they make the cast. His rule of thumb, if you can't touch
the end of the line (minus the leader and tippet) with your rod tip,
you're not in far enough. Sure enough I tried it and I easily put out a
50' rollcast. No other experienced caster told me this, but now that I see
it, it's as plain as day.


Can you enlarge on that? Did not quite understand what you wrote. How can
you hold a fifty foot D loop?

TL
MC

Tom Nakashima wrote:

Sure Mike,
Let out 50' of line and make a false cast to get the line out.
As you bring the line in to form the "D" to make the rollcast, the line is
moving and very slowly to give you the surface tension you need on the line
as you raise and bring your arm up in the 1:00 position. When the line gets
to be around 9' in the water, make the cast. Think of the cast as if you
have a 2 1/2' stick with a tin soup can inserted on the stick. When you
make the cast, you're going to cast the can off the stick when you make the
stop.
Lefty says you can't make a roll cast with 20' of line in the water, it just
won't go. It's very simple when you analyze it. the 9' of line in the water
is all you need for surface tension and the line will go.
Let me know if you need more explanation.

I'm not Mike, but I still don't get it. :-)

With 50' of line out and 9' on the water, assuming a 9' (or
thereabouts) rod, that leaves 32' of line. Where is that 32'?


Chuck Vance