Casting the Fly. 201 



as well as condemn the bad; for the very object in view 

 is to inform the caster what to cultivate as well as what 

 to avoid. 



I confidently believe that two persons of ordinary clev- 

 erness each thus aiding the other, can, in two weeks' time, 

 with say one hour's daily practice, learn to cast a very 

 fair fly and in an easy and graceful manner. If a really 

 experienced instructor can be had, all the better; but the 

 supervision of a self-taught caster of limited experience, 

 who insists on being guided solely by that experience, is 

 to be avoided. 



The coach taking his stand abreast of and on the right 

 of the caster, and at such a distance as conveniently to 

 observe every motion, let the latter withdraw from the 

 reel line equal in length to about one and a half times 

 the length of his rod. The thumb of the casting hand 

 must not be closed up on its fingers, but be extended and 

 bear upon the rod itself. Now throw the tip of the rod 

 upward and behind a little, but only a little, beyond the 

 perpendicular. 



The illustration on the preceding page (Fig. 81), from 

 a photograph from life, shows the extreme limit of this 

 movement, a limit by no means to be exceeded, while it 

 may well be somewhat abridged. 



In actual fishing the casting elbow is always and in- 

 variably to be held quite close to the side, and the fore- 

 arm should not be raised beyond an angle of forty-five 

 degrees with the horizon. The wrist, however, is to take 

 a further bend upward and as far as possible, for from 

 the action of this joint should the impulse of the cast be 

 almost exclusively derived. 



I am aware that I am at variance with the precepts of 

 many writers, as well as with the practice of many excel- 



