SHORE CASTING 197 



and color of the lure as I have pointed out again and 

 again in this work. The true caster will not hesitate 

 to try the new shapes and colors, ofttimes the new 

 wrinkle will surprise some old and wary bass into 

 rising. If you can induce a bass to manifest enough 

 curiosity to investigate, the game is up to you. 



The bank fisherman must be able to employ every 

 known cast, "over-hand," "under-hand," "side- 

 swipe" and then some. There is no doubt but that 

 the "over-hand" is the best and most accurate, but 

 when the angler is standing under trees with low 

 hanging branches, the "over-head" or "over-hand" 

 is out of the question. Under such conditions the 

 much maligned "side-swipe" is the thing. Indeed, 

 as I have elsewhere asserted, the rodster will learn 

 to start a cast at his very feet with a sharp upward 

 jerk, which will send the lure out upon the river to a 

 considerable distance. (See Chapter I.) Nat- 

 urally such a cast does not allow of much control, 

 but this is not tournament show work, this is fishing, 

 and such a cast will result in rises. To play a fish, 

 standing on a bank with rod pointing straight down, 

 everything in reverse order almost, requires just as 

 much skill as when sitting in a comfortable boat. 

 The angler will find the low branches an ever present 

 menace, always reaching out to his undoing. The 

 bank-caster will soon learn to sacrifice distance to 

 safety, to employ all his skill all the time. 



The same trees that offer good fishing to the 



