AND HOW TO USE IT. 73 



excellent book on the art, gives the following 

 clear and admirable directions for throwing the 

 fly, which we quote as the best we ever saw : 



" Take hold of the bend of the hook 

 between the forefinger and thumb of your left 

 hand, holding the rod in your right hand at 

 its balance ; that is to say, where you have a 

 command over it, the same as you would over 

 a well balanced whip. Let the rod point a 

 little forward, straight before the left shoulder, 

 the elbow being kept close to your ribs, but 

 without the smallest constraint. First, turn 

 your rod with a light graceful motion to the 

 left (still the point a little lowered) and move 

 it back again in a similar manner, from the 

 left to the right, carrying the point of it 

 backward at the same time, and quitting your 

 hold of the hook, which by this means will go 

 far behind your back ; but as your next turn 

 of the rod is forward, and as the point is then 

 considerably lowered, your line will double back 

 and take a new direction, so that your fly will 

 at length be carried completely before you, 

 and give the lead to your line. I am induced 

 to repeat that the elbow must be kept down 

 until the line is getting before the rod ; that 



