194 THE PRACTICAL FISHERMAN. 



may occasionally occur, a breakage must inevitably ensue. I pronounce, 

 therefore, for one fly only. Having, then, equipped my suppositions 

 salmon fisher, the next branch of the subject demanding attention 

 is the "throw" or "cast." 



The art of "casting" a fly cannot be completely taught \>j word of 

 mouth. I must presume in the following remarks that the angler I am 

 addressing has some knowledge of casting a fly, say, for trout. For 

 instance, he must be able to place his trout fly on the water without 

 popping it nearly off behind him. No man should attempt a double 

 handed fly rod till he can master the manipulation of a single-handed 

 one. Such temerity would be absurd. Supposing, therefore, that he 

 already knows something about it, I will proceed to describe the ordinary 

 and best method for there are more than one of throwing a salmon fly. 



First, one or two preliminary warnings. Do not try to get out 30yds. 

 of line at first. Try rather with about ten, and in course of time the 

 other twenty may be added. Do not use more strength than is necessary 

 in making a cast. It is a lamentable waste of muscular power, and, after 

 a time, as painful as it is wasteful, to exert all your force till the sound 

 of the rod rushing through the wind makes noise enough for a miniature 

 hurricane. Eeally, the secret of fly casting lies in doing as little yourself, 

 and making your rod do as much, as you can. One of the advantages of 

 the pliancy of a fly rod is its adaptability for this. The top of the rod and 

 its immediate neighbouring parts, not the butt, are intended to aid the 

 propulsion of the fly through the air. It is deplorable, therefore, to see 

 a man exerting his whole strength in a strong breeze to get out some 

 twenty yards of line, and to observe his failure in the energetic movement 

 of the rod's butt, and the general resultant "cussedness" of the fly. 

 Finally, never be in a hurry to get your fly out where a fish has just 

 risen " make haste slowly " is a golden precept. 



In throwing the salmon fly, take the rod in the hands, one above and 

 the other below the winch. In throwing from the right side, the right 

 hand is to take the rod above the winch and the left below it. In making 

 the left side cast, the positions are reversed ; in fishing down a river 

 from the left bank, the right shoulder cast must be made, and vice versti. 

 Of course, everybody knows which is the right and left hand bank of a 

 river looking down stream. For the sake of an example, I will now 

 suppose an angler fishing a stream down on the right. Of course, the 

 left shoulder cast must be made, and I will further imagine cliffs or 

 trees behind him. It is necessary that his cast shall avoid these, and 

 this is how the thing is done : The rod is held aloft, with the left hand 

 -above the winch and the right beneath it as before noted ; the left leg is 

 placed forward, and the left side, of course, is towards the river. 



