ON LEARNING FLY-CASTING 63 



but it gives you a start at an angle of the game to 

 which you will become a regular member as soon as 

 you have whipped a stream or two. You can learn 

 the action of fly-casting quite easily, and practice will 

 make you in a short time a good fly-caster, but there 

 is nothing whatever that will enable you to bring 

 home a well filled creel, except a study of fish and 

 the streams you fish, and the exercise of care and 

 alertness of mind while after the game fish that rise 

 to the fly. 



You can whip a stream all day with any variety 

 or selection of flies without creeling a fish, if you 

 don't know the habits and loafing places of the fish 

 and how to cast without scaring them to death. 



TACKLE NECESSARY TO START 



Probably the best all round fly rod for all except 

 the smallest of mountain brooks, is a split-bamboo 

 from nine to ten feet, weighing from five to six 

 ounces. My preference is the nine and a half footer 

 for general casting, with 25 yards of waterproof 

 enameled silk line, size E or F, according to the 

 weight of the rod; E for the heavier and F for the 

 lighter one. An ordinary single action click reel of 

 100 yards capacity is necessary. Don't bother with 

 a leader for the lawn practice but save it for the 

 real fishing, although you can tie a very small piece 

 of white string on the end of the line to locate the 

 end easily and so note the distance from your target. 



