54 FISHING KITS AND EQUIPMENT 



have the thumb extended along the upper surface of 

 the handgrasp and not bent around it. If you hold 

 the rod in this way it will help getting your wrist 

 into the cast. Another thing, mentioned later, also, 

 in connection with the single-action reel: Have the 

 reel on the under side of the rod (and keep it there) 

 with the handle to the right. 



To make the back cast, using to start your practice 

 about fifteen feet of line, the rod is swung smartly 

 backward, overhead, to a position just a little beyond 

 the perpendicular. The line must be thrown well up 

 into the air so that it will not strike the ground or 

 water behind the caster. To make sure of this the 

 rod must never be allowed to go very far back. If, 

 as advised, you stop the rod when it is slightly beyond 

 the perpendicular the momentum of the back-swing 

 and bend of the rod will carry it to the right position. 

 A high back cast is essential to good fly-casting. Keep 

 your elbow low and not too far from the body 

 not so close as to cramp the arm and make the mo- 

 tion awkward and try to make the rod do the work. 

 That is what a fly-rod is for. The rod will do the 

 work if you get sufficient bend, or action, into it. It 

 will not do the work if you cast at arm's length. To 

 get rod action you must use your wrist. 



Start the forward cast when the line first apprecia- 

 bly begins to pull on the rod from the rear, and bring 

 the rod forward and down to a position a little above 



