FLY CASTING FOR SALMON. 11 



and the great distance to be traversed, render each 

 movement the lift from the water, the backward flight 

 of the line, the return motion, and the drop at the 

 point desired as distinct to a quick perception as the 

 beat of a bar in music. 



But there are occasions when it would not do to cast 

 by count. If the wind is strong in any direction the 

 movement of the line is perceptibly effected ; and if the 

 wind happens to be at your back, it requires great skill 

 and care to counteract its influence and secure satisfac- 

 tory results. With' such a wind, unless you are perfect 

 master of the situation, you will be apt to snap off 

 more flies in an hour than you will be likely to lose 

 legitimately in a fortnight. Nine-tenths of all the flies 

 I ever lost took their departure before I learned how to 

 cast safely with a high wind at my back. 



In many salmon rivers the pools are so placed and 

 the general body of water is of such depth that you can 

 always cast from your anchored canoe. As, under such 

 circumstances, there are no obstructions behind you, 

 less care is required in keeping your fly well up in its 

 backward flight than when casting from the shore as 

 in some rivers you always have to do. 



In the salmon season the water is usually well down 

 in the banks, and in many rivers the slope from high 

 water mark to the summer channel is considerable. In 

 casting, as a rule, you stand near the water ; unless, 

 therefore, you cast high that is, unless you keep your 

 fly well up in its backward flight it will almost certainly 



