238 THE USE OF THE WYE CAST 



across the water toward the pine-crowned cliffs, which 

 run from the falls down-stream to the bottom of the 

 rapids guarding the approach to the river on the oppo- 

 site side, you will notice how the surface of the river, 

 as it leaves the troubled waters of the head pool, is 

 broken in its first smooth glide by that brown and grey 

 rock some 30 yards from that on which we are stand- 

 ing, and some 20 yards from the precipice opposite. 

 There, at any time between May and September, rest- 

 ing after his journey from the sea, in the eddy of that 

 rock, so long as it shows above water, will generally 

 be found the latest fresh-run salmon in this part of 

 the river. If you can present your fly in an attrac- 

 tive manner, you will probably find him in a taking 

 humour, and when happily you may be lucky enough 

 to gaff him, and try the same cast over again later on, 

 you will probably find another fish in his place. 



You will see at once that you cannot cast for that 

 salmon in any other position save from the jutting 

 slippery and spray-drenched rock on which we stand ; 

 and to make such a cast more difficult, 20 yards behind 

 us rise the precipitous walls of the river channel, 

 against the iron sides of which the overhead or side 

 cast backward of the line will most assuredly bring 

 your Durham Ranger with disastrous effects. 



To present your fly attractively, your cast should 

 be sufficiently long to drop the fly 3 yards at least 

 beyond the rock, so that it will then sweep round from 

 the farther side, and appear just over the salmon's 

 position. 



