124 THROWING THE FLY. 



throwing, I must not forget some allusion to our 

 friend, " Old Boreas, blustering railer !" who in 

 his waking hours so often assists, and more often 

 teazes us. If the wind blows straight down your 

 throat the stream I mean from your left to 

 right, and you wish to throw at a right-angle to 

 it, or, in other words, across the river, you must 

 throw according to fig. 14 ; if the contrary, ac- 

 cording to fig. 16 ; for reasons too obvious, 

 both theoretically, and practically, to require 

 explanation. 



Herb. Is it possible to throw against the 

 wind ; that is, " in its teeth ?" 



Theoph. Not directly, unless the line be very 

 heavy ; but by observing my last direction, you 

 may "sail very close to it." Let me also call 

 your attention to the fact, that to throw nicely, 

 it is of very great importance to fix your eyes 

 well on the spot where you desire the fly to fall. 

 The wonderful connexion between the eye and 

 hand, the servile obedience the latter will show 

 towards the former, are subjects of which I will 

 attempt no explanation. A ball thrown up, finds 

 the hands, though unseen by the eye, ready to 

 receive it ; and the gun, held by a good shot, and 

 if suited to the sportsman in length of stock and 

 shape, is pointed directly at the bird, in obedi- 

 ence to the eyes, when they are fixed on the bird 



