320 IMPLEMENTS OF SALMON FISHING. 



power^ or as almost a retroversion of it at the moment of its 

 greatest impetus, somewhat such as that which is termed 

 spinning, or Englishing, a ball at billiards. 



The rod being held lightly in the fingers, the butt of it must 

 be so moved in front of the person, with all the muscles of the 

 arm relaxed, the elbow and the wrist free and pliant, that the 

 tip shall describe a complete circle above and something behind 

 the head, and it will be not amiss for the tyro to practise this 

 motion without attempting to cast as yet any line. 



Secondly, it must be remembered, when the line and fly is 

 brought into play, that by the circular motion of the tip, the 

 whole line, with its cast of flies, must be made to stream out at 

 full length, and to describe a semicircle, so that at the instant 

 previous to propulsion, if we desire to throw directly forward, 

 the flies shall be at the whole length of the extended line, 

 exactly behind us ; when they must be thrown out by a direct 

 and even motion, without any jerk, and yet must be in some 

 sort checked rather by a gradual holding up or cessation of the 

 impelling force, than by any sudden stop or retrogression. 



The mode of casting which I have endeavoured to describe 

 for a forward throw, must be used in all cases ; if to the right, 

 the line must stream out, and the flies be extended at full 

 length to the extreme left, and vice versa; and this is the 

 method by wliich accuracy and precision in casting can be 

 acquired, and by perseverance in which, with experience, the 

 fisherman will ultimately succeed in throwing his stretcher, or 

 last fly, with certainty into a smaller circumference than that of 

 his own hat. 



Tliis it is which we call precision. 



