| I always tell my friends or students what my | | | | based on constructivist principles, where you are |
| father used to tell me "If you want to get | | | | required to invest more mental effort in the |
| started in any activity, go where that people get | | | | non-automatic processing of information. |
| their stuff". If you are into fishing, go to a fishing | | | | For Fly Fishing there is a wide range of DVD's and |
| store and look around, ask questions and look for | | | | most of them are very informative and dynamic. |
| the "ad wall" and you will find lots of information | | | | One I like is "Trout Bum Diaries, Volume I: |
| and people who can teach you. | | | | Patagonia". It might not be a "formal" instructional |
| But what if you can't find someone to teach you | | | | video but you can learn some things just by |
| or if you are just curious about it? There is | | | | watching the expedition to the Patagonia and |
| always a way to start called "instructional videos". | | | | sharing the joy for the adventure with these |
| You can find some of them in VHS, but now | | | | guys. There are some other more "traditional" |
| mostly all of them are now in DVD. | | | | videos like the Bob Nudd's series or "Atlantic |
| It was in the mid 80's when I was a fairly good | | | | Salmon - A Life on the Edge" which are also a |
| playing the bass (the instrument, not the fish) | | | | great DVD's. |
| when these videos started to be popular in music | | | | Another way to learn from a video is to watch |
| instruction. At that time they were fairly cheap. In | | | | your favorite fisherman...Yourself! |
| these videos you can see some of your favorite | | | | Something you might want to do is this: I started |
| players giving one-on-one lessons and watch them | | | | taping my music gigs to show my students how |
| as many times as you need to. I have to say my | | | | practicing the boring music stuff is actually done in |
| playing did improve with this practice. | | | | real life and for finding weak spots in my playing |
| For this matter, fishing videos are the same; they | | | | to fix. Later, I started taping myself while fishing |
| teach you a new skill or help you improving one | | | | to have some happy memories on video as well |
| that you already have. Sure there are boring | | | | as to check out on things I do while fishing. This is |
| parts, like in the music instruction practicing music | | | | a good idea if you want to have a record of your |
| scales and modes, and on the fishing videos some | | | | own improvement. |
| of the explanations about things you already | | | | So maybe now you'll want to consider getting |
| know. | | | | fishing videos as your first contact with fishing if |
| I have to say that there is nothing like in person | | | | you are new to it, for your own amusement if |
| training, but this "new" modality of teaching and | | | | you are an experienced fisher or just tape |
| learning is also helpful. Consider two things: one is | | | | yourself to check improvements. Who knows? |
| having someone you admire tell you his secrets | | | | Maybe you can even start you own instructional |
| and the other is the "distance learning" value | | | | series! |