THROWING THE FLY. 91 



Now, if you attach a line to the rod, and, 

 placing it straight out before you, (which you 

 must, however, understand is not exactly the 

 scientific way of proceeding when you have once 

 learnt the art), apply the motion I have described, 

 making the sweep only as far as M (fig. 14) : the 

 line would fly over your left shoulder in a semi- 

 elliptical course, and the end of it, by reason of 

 the spring given to the rod at L (fig. 14), would 

 fall on a spot behind you, corresponding with the 

 one opposite from whence it started, as in the 

 dotted line N L T (fig. 14). But if, instead of 

 stopping at M (fig 14), a continuous motion is 

 kept up, and the spring from the wrist given to 

 the rod at E, the end of the line will first follow, 

 and then, by reason of the decrease of force, after 

 passing E, and because the end of the line at- 

 tached to the point of the rod is held back, and 

 the impetus given to the whole is still retained in 

 the loose or fly end, that will double over the 

 other part of the line, and fall beyond H (fig 14), 

 in the straight line T E s, making, in its entire 

 course, the circuit N L T E s. 



Herb. But tell me in what position the fly 

 is to be when you commence the motion of your 

 rod ; for I should feel little inclination to walk 

 into the water to stretch it out in preparation for 

 the throw. That is like the direction for catching 

 birds by putting salt on their tails. 



