SLACK LINE 311 



than a few inches over the shoulder. It should 

 rather be checked abruptly when the butt is 

 brought back into the shoulder ; and just before 

 the line has extended itself behind, the return 

 must be made with a strong, determined, forward 

 thrust of the arm. The motion of the latter 

 should be precisely that of aiming a blow with 

 the clenched fist at an object on a level with the 

 eye of the fisherman. In holding the rod the 

 lower hand should be placed immediately above 

 the reel. 



A certain amount of slack line necessarily re- 

 maining after the line has been picked off the 

 water, this must be run out by making one or 

 two preliminary false casts in the air before the 

 final return forward cast. It is a good plan 

 to retain a few inches of slack line in the hand, 

 until just as the line is in the act of falling on the 

 water ; it can then be allowed to run out by the 

 fingers of the right hand being relaxed. By this 

 means the fly will fall lightly, and all splashing be 

 avoided. Slack line can be utilized as recom- 

 mended for steeple-casting in trout-fishing. 



The switch, or ' spey cast,' which I very fully 

 described in that portion of the present work 

 devoted to trout-fishing, is more especially useful 

 for salmon-fishing. It is, indeed, a salmon-cast, 

 though, as I have shown, it may very advan- 

 tageously be used when trout-fishing. It is most 



