TROUT FLY-FISHING IN AMERICA 



sists of two separate and distinct movements called the 

 "forward" and "backward" cast. 



The "backward" cast is made by a backward move- 

 ment of the rod toward the caster and with sufficient force 

 to send the line with the leader and fly straight out behind 

 him. 



The "forward" cast is made after the "backward" cast 

 has been completed by bringing the rod to the front of the 

 caster with a wrist movement of sufficient force to carry 

 the line, leader and fly forward of the caster such distance 

 as the length of line will permit. 



The "forward" cast is the one that places the fly upon 

 the water in front of the caster and the "backward" cast 

 is the one that is made after the fly has been played by 

 retrieving the fly with a backward movement of the rod, 

 which makes another "forward" cast possible. 



The principle of casting involved in fly-fishing, and 

 the physical elements that are brought into play in cast- 

 ing, can be well illustrated by comparing the rod to a 

 "balanced" railroad crossing gate. 



The fulcrum of the gate, that is, the pivot upon which 

 the gate swings, represents the hand of the angler. The 

 long arm of the gate represents the long or tip end of the 

 rod, and the short arm of the gate represents the short or 

 reel end of the rod. 



The fulcrum of the gate is a fixed point as should be 

 the caster's hand, which is the fulcrum of the rod. 



The long and short ends of the rod, either side of the 

 caster's hand, should balance when the tip of the rod is 



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