Casting the Fly. 269 



purely automatic, adjusting itself to circumstances with- 

 out conscious muscular or mental effort. 



But remember the back cast is the foundation, and 

 that unless it is solid the superstructure will be rick- 

 ety. Remember also that the motion of the rod through 

 the air should be almost, or quite noiseless. Nothing of- 

 fends the angler's ear more than the " swish " of a fly- 

 rod. It is like a false note to an educated musical ear. 

 It indicates a degree of force about as appropriate to 

 the end in view, as a burglar's jimmy to opening a watch. 

 This should never be, except possibly when casting di- 

 rectly against the wind or for distance only. 



After about a week's daily practice has given consid- 

 erable skill to the right hand, and the habit of a high 

 back fly and the pause is pretty well formed, begin to 

 educate the left hand as well, and after that practice 

 both alternately. To be able to use either hand indiffer- 

 ently is a great accomplishment. Whatever is worth 

 doing, is worth doing well. Begin and continue your 

 practice with the fixed intention to become second to 

 none in skill, and educate the left hand, with the right, 

 as one of the steps in that direction. 



Experience by this time will have taught that the line 

 must be so thrown behind on the back cast, as neither to 

 strike the caster nor the rod in its flight. 



When the overhead cast is mastered, and you can get 

 out fifty -five to sixty feet of line fair, straight, and 

 light, and without much conscious exertion of force, and 

 this with a high back fly and the proper pause, then you 

 are ready for another step forward. Practise casting 

 over the left shoulder for two or three lessons, and 

 then casting sideways, i.e., moving the rod horizontally 

 or nearly so. The same principles govern success in 



