100 THROWING THE FLY, 



Once more, and lastly. Attend, and we shall 

 see why it is likely to break close to its junction 

 with the fly. At starting, the line being stretched, 

 the point of its junction would take the lead, and 

 so continue till it had finished its course. The 

 fly would pass through the air, head foremost, 

 from its very form and nature ; so that when it 

 had passed the centre of power, the line would 

 be doubled or bent back, and the bend would, of 

 course, be close to the fly at the moment the 

 premature spring was felt in it. Then, as the 

 gut is somewhat thicker than that which geome- 

 tricians call " a line ;" having two surfaces, 

 both of which are necessary to its strength, 

 the assistance of the fibres on the concave side 

 would, by the bend, be rendered nugator}'^, and 

 the whole force of the jerk would be thrown on 

 the convex side, which would also undergo a 

 more than natural tension, from the mere fact 

 of its being bent. Thus are the probabilities of 

 a fracture reduced almost to a certainty ; and the 

 fly is whipped off"! ! But I fear I tire you with 

 so much detail. 



Herb. — By no means : I am devoting my best 

 attention, in the hopes of following your expla- 

 nation. I am all ears. 



Theoph. — The nature of the springs and posi- 

 tion where they are to be given still remain for 

 your consideration. Of the first, observe that you 



