Fish and Fishing 



lively and attractive way within sight of the fish, 

 being gradually swept across to the anglers' own 

 bank. To do this successfully, the angler must 

 cast, not only across, but down stream; and the 

 more down stream the cast can be made, the slower 



will be the pace at which the fly 

 Down^ ^ crosses the river, the greater will be 



the chance of the salmon seeing it, 

 the less will be the chance of it seeing the line, and 

 the more easy it will be for the angler to keep in 

 touch with the fly, during the whole time it is in 

 the water. This is why it is so important to throw 

 a long line in salmon fishing, even in a compara- 

 tively narrow river. It is desirable not only to 

 reach the whole of the likely water, but to cover it 

 at a proper angle. If the cast is made directly 

 across the stream, the line bags in the middle, and 

 for the first half of the cast the fly has the ap- 

 pearance of a dead thing being towed down stream 

 by a visible cord, instead of something alive, being 

 jerked by its own motion in the water. Two 

 things especially should the angler bear in mind 

 when actually casting and managing his fly: the 

 first is that the salmon in fresh water has more 

 curiosity than appetite, that he is not waiting for 

 food, nor expecting it to come to him, as he lies in 

 the water. The fly must rouse the attention of 

 the fish and must do it attractively. Second, the 

 fly should be of the right size. 



As the fly works round from the opposite bank 

 toward your side, the rod should gradually follow 

 it, and, if you please, you may slowly lower and 

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