FLY CASTING FOR SALMON. 15 



nerisms. Each may be equally expert — that is, equally 

 successful in placing his fly just where he wants it and 

 just at such distance as he please. My own preference 

 and practice is, a slight sway of the body and a nearly 

 straight backward and forward movement of the line. 

 There are, of course, occasions when a semicircle 

 sweep of the line, or a lateral movement, or an under 

 cast is necessary to reach some desired objective point. 

 All these movements, when they are deemed necessary, 

 will come from experience ; but for unobstructed waters 

 I prefer a straight cast, and only such slight motion of 

 the body as will give occasional respite to the arms ; for 

 it is no boy's play to so handle a ponderous salmon rod 

 for hours in succession as to give the needed sweep to 

 an eighty-foot line. 



The flies used for salmon are more numerous and varied 

 than those used for trout, and quite as uncertain and puz- 

 zling to those who use them. I have taken salmon, as I 

 have taken trout, out of the same water within the same 

 hour with flies of directly opposite hues, and of shapes 

 and sizes which were the counterpart of nothing " in the 

 heavens above, in the earth beneath, or in the waters 

 under the earth." There are, however, standard flies 

 which experience has shown to be generally more 

 " taking " than others, and for this sufficient reason 

 are always found in salmon anglers' fly books. But no 

 expert deems any fly or any dozen flies invariably 

 adapted to all waters and all conditions of wind and 

 weather. It is superlative nonsense, therefore, to mul- 



