PICKING LINE OFF WATER 29 



LIGHTNESS IN PICKING THE LINE OFF THE WATER 



After each cast is made and the position of the fly 

 noticed, the rod should be raised steadily until the 

 line is straight and begins to be drawn along the 

 surface of the water ; the back stroke should then be 

 made. Lightness in picking the line off the water is 

 a most important art, which can be acquired by follow- 

 ing out these and my former suggestions. When 

 fishing down-stream with the single- or double-handed 

 rod, with a long line and rapid current, a very slight 

 upward switch can be given to the top of the 

 rod just as the back cast is about to be made ; 

 this will cause a small upward wave motion to 

 run down the line and will materially assist in lifting 

 the line off the water. Lightness in casting, as 

 before mentioned, is achieved by extending the line 

 horizontally as far as possible before the fly drops on 

 the water. 



When the rod is moved in any direction, the line, 

 subject to the influence of the wind, will travel in the 

 plane of this movement, and so long as the line is in 

 motion, it will always be influenced by any altered 

 movement of the rod. 



The following axioms must be kept constantly in the 

 mind of the student : 



1. That the line follows every movement of the point 

 of the rod. 



2. That the easiest and most accurate forward cast 

 in any direction can be made from a position in which 



