64 



The Gentle Art of Angling. 



threaded through the rings, and a 

 few yards drawn off. To lift it 

 in preparation for casting the rod 

 should be held at A 1 position. By 

 a sharp upward movement of the 

 forearm, between A and B, the line 

 will be lifted and carried over the 

 shoulder. Time must be allowed 

 for it to be fully stretched behind 

 before casting forward. Then the 

 rod is brought back to the posi- 

 tion from which it started with 

 another sharp movement. The 

 line should be gradually length- 

 ened until longer casts can be 

 made. This is done by pulling 

 out about a yard at a time from 

 the reel. In lifting the rod to 

 re-cast the loose length is drawn 

 through the rings. After a little 

 practice the line can be lengthened 

 without re-casting, a slight upward 

 movement of the rod being all 

 that is needed. As the line is 

 lengthened the difficulties of cast- 

 ing increase. Instead of falling 

 lightly on the water, it catches 

 in the grass behind, or becomes 

 entangled round the body. Several 

 things must be understood to 

 avoid this state of confusion, 

 which wastes much time and does 

 not improve the temper. 



First, in the backward move- 

 ment of the rod, sufficient time 

 must be allowed to let the line 

 be fully extended. Theoretically, 

 it should go as far back as it 

 does forward. Practically, this 

 is not always possible. In stop- 

 ping it to cast forward when it is 

 not quite stretched it cracks like 

 a whip, snapping off the tail fly 

 and part of the gut. The prin- 

 ciple on which a cowboy cracks 

 his long whip loud as a pistol is 

 to stop the thong when it is not 

 quite stretched, and suddenly jerk 

 it back. This is what the angler 

 ought not to do, but which he 

 will do unwittingly. It is good 

 practice to mount an old line 

 without gut, and learn how easy 



it is to accomplish the cow-boy 

 trick, and keep on until the line 

 can be wielded without crack- 

 ing. With a strong breeze at 

 one's back it is a simple matter 

 to make forward casts, the line is 

 carried with delightful ease, and 

 the tyro thinks all is going well. 

 Soon he finds fly after fly crack- 

 ing off. In proportion to the 

 ease of casting forward the back- 

 ward cast grows difficult. The 

 line is caught by the wind, and 

 the gut being the lightest part is 

 blown into the loop, cracks, and 



Range of the arm in casting and 

 working the rod. 



sheds a fly each time. This can be 

 avoided to some extent, although 

 it sometimes happens to the most 

 skilful. The plan is to cast back 

 vigorously enough to counteract 

 the force of the wind behind and 

 prevent curving as much as pos- 

 sible. It does not require much 

 effort to get the line forward 

 when the wind is at one's back ; 

 and if it is curved by the breeze, 



