34. ANGLING FOE GAME FISH. 



very similar to the overhead cast, the only difference being 

 that, in lieu of the rod being kept for the most part upright, it 

 is held in a horizontal position, i.e., in a line with the earth. 

 The difficulty of this cast is to prevent the fly catching in 

 grass or anything catchable in the meadow behind us, and, 

 as a matter of fact, it can only be practised when the ground 

 behind is flat and clear. The underhand cast, more often 

 than not, causes the fly to cock ; and the rod, being held 

 low, is not seen by the fish. If you fail to cast lightly, 

 aim at an imaginary point in the air, 2ft. above where you 

 wish the fly to fall. 



These three casts — the overhead, the steeple, and the under- 

 hand — are most used by dry-fly fishers. They are also very 

 useful when wet-fly fishing; but before leaving the subject of 

 casting, it will not be out of place to say a word or two 

 about casts more especially useful for the wet-fly fisher. I 



B 



B — 



Fig. 25, Line followed by Rod- Fig, 26. Bolder Curve followed 

 POINT IN Making Overhead by Rod-point in Making Over- 



Cast, head Cast. 



have said that in the overhead cast a pause is necessary 



between the backward and forward casts, and that the length 



of this pause depends mainly on the length of the line. It 



depends also, in a measure, on two other things. In the first 



place, a man with a strong wrist will bring his rod up so 



sharply that the line will get out behind him quicker than 



it would extend behind a man with a less strong wrist. On 



the rapidity with which the rod is brought back, therefore, 



partly depends the length of the pause. But another point 



has still to be considered. "When we make the overhead cast, 



the point of our rod follows a line in the air somewhat the 



shape of that shown in Fig. 25, commencing at A and 



ending at B. Now, there is nothing to prevent our causing 



our rod-top to follow a much larger curve, such as that 



shown in Tig. 26, and we can go on increasing the curve 



