112 SHOOTING AND SALMON FISHING 



than if propelled by the overhead cast. Much has been written 

 about this same cast, and no one has discoursed more wisely 

 than my friend the late Major Traherne, in the Badminton 

 Library, in which he has taken much pains both by word and 

 by diagram to explain the matter, while doubtlessly his efforts 

 have been of great use to his brother anglers. It occurred, 

 however, to the author, that if he could get this cast illustrated 

 by someone combining the angler with the artist, that then 

 such illustrated diagrams might be of still further use to the 

 beginner. In his friend Mr. R. R. Holmes, Her late Majesty's 

 Librarian at Windsor Castle, he has had the -good luck to meet 

 with this happy combination of art with sport, and the three 

 accompanying drawings of the Spey-cast were executed on 

 Speyside itself; and the author ventures to think that never 

 before has the Spey-cast been so well illustrated, and all credit 

 is due to Mr. Holmes for his able handling of a difficult subject. 

 This cast is made in three distinct motions, which, like the 

 overhead one, is essentially a " time " cast. 



Plate No. I represents the angler having raised the rod 

 upright with one steady, moderately quick rise, so as to bring 

 the line to the surface ; No. 2, shows the line as it is imme- 

 diately before the downward stroke is made ; No. 3 depicts the 

 result of this, while the fly is speeding in graceful curls to its 

 destination. We also quite agree with Major Traherne, that 

 there is no line so easy or pleasant to cast as a hand-made, 

 double taper silk one of about thirty-three yards in length, 

 spliced on to a hundred yards of reel line. Farlow makes 

 these silk lines right well, while dressing them to keep supple 

 for many seasons ; but as soon as one end of the taper begins 

 to wear it should be reversed. We consider the reel is best 

 made of thin gun metal, for though this is slightly heavier 

 than wood or vulcanite, both these substances are easily 

 cracked by knocks or tumbles, while the metal one is far less 

 vulnerable, for even if badly dented it can usually be put right 

 again by any blacksmith. A reel should run lightly ; in fact, 



