OVERHEAD CAST 219 



as to there being a portion of clay pressed on to the 

 tip of the rod, which has to be jerked forward or back- 

 ward off the rod in a horizontal direction. The greater 

 the force of the wind against the fisherman the more 

 forward should be the impulse, and the greater the 

 effort which must be made. The jerk is in reality the 

 sudden stopping of the forward motion of the rod at 

 the moment of its greatest tension (see Plate XXV.). 

 The rod must never be jerked at the commencement of 

 any stroke, but drawn, the force gradually increasing 

 up to the final effort ; the rod must then be suddenly 

 checked but not stopped. The hand or hands must 

 always tightly grasp the handle at the conclusion of 

 each of the backward and forward motions. This 

 grasp will of necessity produce a rigid wrist, and 

 should therefore assist the sudden check which is so 

 important. When a correct action is obtained the 

 beginner will find that at the conclusion of this 

 forward impulse the line will shoot forward and 

 cause a certain length, which can be held in the 

 fingers of the lower hand, to shoot through the rings 

 and lengthen the forward cast. In order to permit 

 this extension, the line should be released, when the rod 

 is brought to a stop in the forward cast, and, if neces- 

 sary, fed up toward the lower ring with the left hand, 

 the rod resting in the butt-rest in the belt of the 

 fisherman. A most useful article for the fisherman 

 is a leather belt which is provided with a socket, into 

 which the butt of the rod is slipped, the lower hand 

 being then free to manipulate the line or use the reel. 



