CASTING. 393 



result is a crack like a whip, and a fly gone at the 

 head. When the line has stretched to its full extent in 

 the air in the direction just opposite to that in which the 

 new cast is desired to be made, the new cast is made not 

 with a violent muscular effort of the arms and body, 

 but entirely by the spring of the rod, which follows but 

 does not precede the line. The line, which in the com- 

 mencement of the cast is something like the shape of 

 the letter S reversed, should straighten out as it nears the 

 surface of the water, and fall smoothly and evenly on 

 the pool. To make good casting against the wind more 

 power is required, and of course the heavier the line the 

 better. This is where a powerful rod springing from the 

 butt is most required, the power of the cast coming 

 altogether from the first joint. With a fair wind the 

 difficulty to be avoided is to keep the fly from the ground 

 in its backward swing. Owing to the nature of the bank 

 it is, of course, often impossible for the angler to let his 

 line stretch straight behind him. He will in this case let 

 it out wherever there is an opening, probably up stream, 

 and then by a quick motion of his wrist spring the rod in 

 the direction he wishes the line to take, sometimes at 

 right angles to the direction the line has taken in the air. 

 Where, owing to trees, overhanging rocks, &c., there is 

 positively no room left for a cast such as I have been 

 trying to describe, the line is drawn near to the angler's 

 feet, and then, by a sudden spring of the rod, it is thrown 

 upwards and outwards over the pool ; but it will no doubt 

 cost the beginner many a fly and several broken tips 

 before he can learn how to cast in a place of this sort. 

 In these cramped casts, which are often found on the best 



