THROWING THE FLY. 115 



length out, it must fall on it in the first instance), 

 you must drag the fly from the place where it 

 first falls suddenly, and in a manner unnatural to 

 a living insect, or else the line cannot fall suffi- 

 ciently stretched. By this you lose an advan- 

 tage, for it is generally observed that the fall first 

 engages the attention of the fish ; and it is for the 

 most part in the moment after that he rises to it, 

 unless he be a salmon, which will give chase, in 

 order to whet his appetite. This unnatural drag 

 on the fly is too common, without any endeavour 

 to clear the reel line ; for you will remark, unless 

 you cautiously guard against it, in regaining the 

 grasp of the rod after it has become relaxed by 

 the delivery of the fly, an almost imperceptible 

 check is conveyed to the course which the cur- 

 rent has already given to it ; whereas, from the 

 moment it touches the water it should be under 

 the sole controul of the stream, almost precisely 

 as a natural fly would ; the hand at most only 

 carrying it across the stream, as a struggling fly 

 might swim, except in occasionally communicating 

 those gentle tremulous jerks, which we sometimes 

 impart in order to give it the semblance of life, 

 and subject to those other exceptions which I 

 will explain to you by and bye : it is, there- 

 fore, improper to attempt to raise the line off the 

 water. But, putting aside all speculative ques- 

 tions as to the likelihood of a fish being scared by 



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