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sufficient sweep or swing to extend to the ut- 

 most the line in the same backward direction, 

 and then the rod must be returned with a jerk 

 of the wrist forwards, when the line will be also 

 returned, and fall upon the water. In making 

 the throw forwards, and aiming at any particu- 

 lar spot of the river, just as your line comes 

 about a yard above it, suddenly check the im- 

 pulsion given by the wrist to the rod, and the 

 descent of your line will be suspended for an 

 instant, after which it will by its own weight 

 floatingly fall over the spot to which you 

 directed it. This last operation is to be parti- 

 cularly attended to, for if performed properly 

 the line will fall gossamer-like on the water, 

 and your flies will not ruffle the surface of the 

 water more than the descent of so many living 

 natural flies would. 



When the learner can throw the reel-line tol- 

 erably well, and when he has lost all fear of 

 breaking his rod or cracking his line by the 

 operation of casting, let him use a gut casting- 

 line, of about two yards in length, with a rather 

 large tail-fly attached to it. After he finds 

 that he can use this tackle safely, he may 

 lengthen his casting-line half a yard more, and, 

 placing on it, in addition to the tail-fly or 

 stretcher, two droppers at the distance pointed 

 out in a previous chapter, commence fishing 



