218 THE LEFT-HAND 



the rod. A pause is necessary to allow the line suffi- 

 cient time to extend itself behind the fisherman, 

 at the end of which pause the forward cast should 

 be made, the right shoulder being advanced, the 

 right arm extended (see Plate XXIV.), and the left 

 hand lowered and brought into the body as the stroke 

 is made, the left arm, with the elbow out, being then 

 close to the side. The angle at which the rod should 

 be checked in the forward cast varies, the thrash down 

 being extended further when a head wind has to be 

 encountered. The rod should, as the line shoots for- 

 ward, be lowered (see Plate XXVI.). 



THE LEFT-HAND OVERHEAD CAST 



In this cast the left hand should be above, with the 

 thumb pointing up the rod, and the right hand below, 

 the left foot and shoulder pointed forward, and the 

 action of the rod and the motion of the arms being 

 similar to the right-handed cast, the hands merely 

 changing their places on the rod. The lower hand in 

 both of these casts should control the backward action of 

 the rod, and care must be taken not to permit the right 

 hand to travel behind the shoulder (see Plate XXIV.). 

 The hand here is too far behind. I think until the 

 correct backward and forward motion of the rod has 

 become a matter of habit, a great assistance in order 

 to obtain the correct rod action is to think of my sug- 

 gestion made under the head of " Trout Fly Casting," 



