286 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 



first. Under that finger it passes, so that it may be com- 

 pressed against the handle of the rod and checked at 

 will, or relaxed, and allowed to render from the reel, by 

 partially opening or tightly closing that finger. 



Now when the angler has reason to believe a rising 

 fish will not reach his fly before it ought to be taken oif 

 the water, or when he has overcast a choice spot, and 

 cannot draw his flies across it without wholly or in part 

 losing the power to strike, if he will arrest his rod when 

 in the most favorable position, and then seizing the line 

 with his left hand near the lower ring of the rod, draw it 

 through the rings, being careful always to nip it with the 

 first finger of his right hand when he shifts his left for 

 a fresh hold, he can thus keep his fly still in motion, even 

 to the extent of all the line he has out, and at the same 

 time always retain unimpaired the power to strike. Af- 

 ter the fish is fastened, he may be played upon the slack- 

 line hanging between the lower ring and the reel, by al- 

 lowing it to render between the thumb and finger of the 

 left hand, thus keeping up the required tension. In this 

 manner he may be brought to the net if small; while if 

 of such size that a protracted contest is to be expected, 

 the slack - line will probably be wholly taken up by his 

 first dash, and the angler will have him upon the reel, 

 thereafter to be played in the usual manner. 



This point I consider of great practical value. Hard- 

 ly a day passes in my own fishing that I do not resort to 

 it more or less, and by it I have taken many nice trout 

 that otherwise I believe I should have lost. I should 

 have resorted to it at once in the instance cited, and 

 the consciousness that had I done so the result would 

 probably have been different, was harder to bear than 

 the loss of the fish. 



