SOME CONTROVERSIES 127 



ment of the most important item in the trout 

 fisher's equipment. Had it not been for the " light 

 V. heavy" war of pens, which I have before mentioned, 

 I am pretty sure that I for one should not fish with 

 half the comfort and pleasure that I get out of 

 the sport to-day. 



The old trout-rod was a heavy affair because it 

 could not be otherwise. The convention of a gradual 

 taper from a fat butt to a very fine point necessitated 

 a liberal use of timber, and of course timber means 

 weight. As we realise now, a great deal of this 

 weight was quite unnecessary, since you can get 

 a better action for ordinary fly-fishing purposes with 

 much less taper and therefore much less timber. 

 The typical old fly-rod had its action mostly in the 

 top-half, and that of course is no sort of action for 

 such a purpose as getting out a heavy dry-fly line 

 against the wind. 



The directions for casting a fly found in many 

 of the older books of instruction suggest the pro- 

 ceedings of the novice who seeks to get his line out 

 by making his rod, his arm, and himself into one 

 rigid implement wliieh moves slowly and gingerly 

 backwards and forwards. He hopes, probably, 

 that the wind, or providence, will see to the progress 

 of the line in tlie right direction. I have often 

 thought it a touching instance of the vanity of human 

 wishes when I have seen the ardent beginner leaning 



