Casting the Fly. 273 



actly describes the suddenness of the operation. I then 

 thought that thus does the trout reject the artificial fly 

 when the deception is discovered, and realized how very, 

 very brief was the interval in which advantage might 

 be taken of a rise. 



I have here laid out what I take to be about two 

 months' to two and a half months' work. Certainly it 

 can be compassed in a single close season. Access to 

 water, I believe, will prove rather a drawback than an 

 advantage, tending to distract the attention from the main 

 object in view, the formation of a correct habit. 



At the expiration of that period, I believe that two 

 persons of average adaptability, each aiding the other, 

 can with patience and perseverance, and by strictly fol- 

 lowing the directions contained in this chapter, become 

 proficient in casting the fly to a degree not by any means 

 common even among experienced anglers. True, this is 

 not all of fly-fishing ; but then the attention is thereafter 

 free to devote itself to those lessons learned only from 

 Nature's book, face to face with Nature herself. Then 

 what the mind directs, that the muscles can execute, and 

 thus the experience of years can be compressed into a 

 comparatively brief period. 



He who is complete master of his scales and intervals 

 will have little trouble to learn to play a set piece ; and 

 so in this case the scales and intervals have been mas- 

 tered, the hours of toil are over, and their reward is at 

 hand. 



The violin player sees a note on the written page. He 

 does not stop to think " that is D, and must be played 

 with the fourth finger in the third position." It is be- 

 fore him, and without a thought of what the note is or 

 where it lies, his hand flies to the accustomed place, he 



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