98 THROWING THE FLY. 



necessity obliged me to adopt, I could not only 

 throw a lighter line, but also further by two or 

 three yards. A new light burst upon me. The 

 following day, I killed a salmon of eighteen 

 pounds, by excessive light throwing, and the 

 next one of sixteen pounds, by throwing to a 

 spot I had never before been able to reach. This 

 experience, so dearly bought, you may rest as- 

 sured, I scratched very deep on the tablet of my 

 memory, and I never afterwards lost sight of it. 



Herb. But explain to me the actual effect of 

 this extra force, or " swish," upon the fly. 



Theoph. After the spring is given, for a time, 

 the impulse in the fly is unalterable. The line is 

 operated on in the same manner; but being 

 retained, at one end, by the !top of the rod, as 

 each succeeding portion passes it, it is bent or 

 doubled upon itself, thus, c B A (see fig. 18) : 



Fig. 18. 



and if the rod were retained in the position D A, 

 and not gradually lowered BO as to "ease it off, 

 the impetus left in the part of the line from A to 

 B would be stopped, and that of the fly at c 

 accelerated, to a degree sufficient to carry it fur- 

 ther than the length of the line would allow it 

 to reach ; the fly itself would then be checked, 



