60 TROUT-FISHING FOR THE BEGINNER 



being communicated to the latter from the 

 eye. 



To make his initial cast, let the beginner 

 draw off from the reel sufficient line, say one 

 and a half times the length of the rod. Then, 

 holding the tail fly lightly between his fingers, 

 let him swing or wave the rod, releasing the 

 fly as he does so. When the cast is fully 

 extended in the air behind him, he should 

 then allow the rod point to come forward. 

 If properly done, the cast will fly out straight 

 in front, when the momentum of its fall may 

 be retarded in order to make it drop lightly. 

 The forward stroke should be smart, and the 

 point of the rod should not fall farther than 

 at a right angle to the fisherman's body. 

 The cast of flies having alighted softly on tho 

 water, to repeat the stroke, raise the point 

 of the rod slowly upwards, until as much 

 line as possible is clear of the surface, then, 

 with a smart upward and backward lift, line 

 and cast are made to fly out straight behind. 

 In the backward stroke, the rod point should 

 not go farther than an angle of forty-five 

 degrees to the body ; and when the line is 

 in the air behind, time should be allowed it 

 to straighten, otherwise when the forward 

 stroke begins, the fly or flies are very liable 

 to be cracked off. If the rod point also is 



