THROWING AMONGST TREES. 127 



B, which is backed on all sides by high trees : 

 to throw up or down the river, to your left or 

 right, is easy enough; but how will you throw 

 straight before you ? You cannot effect it in the 

 ordinary method; because the trees behind will 

 surely entangle your fly. It is done thus : first 

 throw down the river towards d; and, while your 

 line is well stretched, bringing it thence with a 

 spring round in front, towards and then over your 

 left, and behind your back to the right, and at 

 the same time turning your body to face a, throw 

 forwards towards that spot. You must, of course, 

 form but a very close small circle with the pomt of 

 your rod, as e f b, otherwise the sweep of the 

 line backwards will be too great, and you will get 

 " hung up." The spring of the rod in both in- 

 stances should be given at about the same point, 

 e; and, provided you can avoid touching the 

 trees at k, with a moderate length of line you will 

 effect your object without doubt. If the stream 

 runs the other way, you have but to reverse the 

 rule. To give you confidence, try this without 

 a hook under a tree in a field, some day; but 

 it requires great command of muscle. Here 

 is another difficulty and perhaps the greatest 

 you can have to encounter. It requires most 

 perfect power over the rod, and consequently the 

 extreme of practice. The bushes are here (Fig. 

 22) supposed to be thick behind you, and at inter- 



