356 The Trouts of America 



power to cast a long distance is with them muscu- 

 lar, and their use of the muscles of the entire arm 

 is distressing to the stream fisherman. 



But if the art of casting a fly cannot be taught 

 by printed instructions or by word of mouth, a 

 hint or two may be of use ; for instance : 



Let the young angler make his first attempts 

 in the current of the stream with a line that is 

 slightly longer than the rod. When the line is 

 down-stream and at full tension, a gentle spring 

 of the tip of the rod, made by raising the hand 

 piece an inch or two, and at the same time giving 

 a quick turn of the wrist from left to right (a 

 movement that is, or should be, involuntary), and 

 then quickly lifting the rod so that the tip will be 

 slightly behind the right shoulder, will effect 

 what is called " the back cast." As the rod 

 reaches the shoulder position a pause of one to 

 three seconds, to allow the line to extend back- 

 ward, must be made, and the rod then sprung to 

 the front as described in the backward movement ; 

 this is called " the forward cast." The spring of 

 the tip of the rod should be snappy, but not 

 violent, and just how to do this and allow the 

 proper lapse of time before making the forward 

 cast, constitute, I think, the main difficulty in 



