226 ROD AND RIVER 



that it was quite likely that the place would be 

 filled by another fish on each occasion, and made 

 the remark to a friend who was with me ; but it 

 was great luck to get all three, more especially as 

 the position was a most difficult one, and each cast 

 was made at the risk of losing my fly in a thorn- 

 bush which grew just above where the fish lay. 



I am of opinion that it is easier to cast a fairly 

 long line lightly and with precision than a short 

 one. My reason for this assertion is not only 

 because I prefer using a long line, but because 

 the increased weight of the latter brings out the 

 full play of the rod more completely, and thereby 

 enables the user to feel its swing more perfectly. 

 Of course, it is folly to make use of a line absurdly 

 long, unless it is absolutely necessary to do so ; 

 and, moreover, fish hooked at the end, of a very 

 long line are more frequently lost than landed. 

 With a short line a mistake may cause a splash, 

 and a fish may thereby be ' put down,' or altogether 

 ' warned off the premises,' but with a long one 

 such is less likely to happen : the fly may fail to 

 reach the desired spot, but if it goes out to the 

 full length of the line, which, if the distance has 

 been accurately gauged when running it off the 

 reel, will be somewhere close to the fish, it will 

 fall lightly enough to prevent the occurrence of 

 such a contretemps. 



It may be found utterly impossible to make 



