HOW TO CAST A FLY. 



BY 

 SETH GREEN. 



I am asked a great many times what is the secret of 

 fly-casting ? There are three principles. First, quick 

 out of the water ; second, give the line time to straighten 

 behind you; third, throw. I will explain these prin- 

 ciples more definitely. 



Raise your rod straight up, or nearly so, the inclina- 

 tion being backward ; then make a quick stroke for- 

 ward. When you take .the line from the water it 

 should be done with a quick jerk; then give your line 

 time to straighten behind ; then give it the same stroke 

 forward that you did to get it out of the water. 



Why so many fail in fly-casting is, they throw the 

 rod backward too near the ground behind them, and 

 when they make the forward stroke, and the line gets 

 straightened out, it is some distance above the water 

 and kinks back, so that when it falls upon the water 

 it lies crooked, and is some distance short of what it 

 would have been if it had struck the water as soon as 

 it was straightened out. 



If a fish should strike at your flies at this time you 

 are pretty sure to miss him. By never throwing your 



