84 THROWING THE /FLY. 



throw of the rod, he brings the fly to the point 

 desired (?) and, as is there observed, a capital 

 plan this is, if you wish to take fish by first 

 "knocking them on the head." 



It will help your notion as to whipping off 

 flies to understand the force they acquire in the 

 operation of throwing. It is by no means an 

 uncommon occurrence to break a rod, if a fish 

 happen to rise and be hooked while the impetus 

 necessary to raise the fly off the water and cast it 

 behind is in the act of being given, and that re- 

 quired to return it to the water is as great. The 

 force a fly acquires in passing through the air is 

 surprising. Strange as it may be thought, I have 

 even seen a rod broken by the fly striking it in a 

 certain position, cutting it, as though with a knife ; 

 and I remember once, while salmon-fishing, and 

 wearing a Mackintosh cap, being struck such a 

 blow on the forehead by the fly (in a bad throw 

 backwards), that I felt it tender for three or four 

 days. My fly was only dressed on about a third 

 size grill hook, and yet it struck me, through the 

 cap, like a small stone. If such, then, be the 

 force, and, while it is still going backwards having 

 one impetus, you oppose to that, another still 

 greater, by giving the spring to send it forward, 

 too soon, how can you wonder that so brittle and 

 so thin a thing as gut should snap ? I shall, how- 

 ever, tell you more of this hereafter. 



