8 THE SCIENCE OF DRY FLY FISHING. 



will commence to travel back beyond the top of the rod, 

 making a loop or belly on itself as it goes back. (See 

 Plates III. and IV.) The wrist must be kept rigid. If 

 there is a tendency of the rod to overcome this rigidity of 

 the wrist in the back stroke, a handkerchief may be loosely 



DIAGRAM 2.-SHOWING BACK CAST. 



F A, position of rod before casting back. 



F C, position of rod at end of back cast. 



R R R, etc., position of rod during back cast. 



F, the elbow, which is the '* pivot" of the back cast. 



ABC, theoretical curve made by top rod when moved from A to C. 



A E C, real curve made by rod between A and C when pulling line. 



F E B, a dotted line showing mean position of rod at the moment of 



greatest force the time at which the left hand can assist. (See 



Plate VIII.) 



A iC D, the mean direction of force as applied to line. 

 A B C E, shaded crescent showing increase and decrease of force applied. 



fastened round the forearm and the butt of rod to keep the butt 

 close to the arm. 



In order that you may grasp clearly the kind of 

 stroke, or pull, required for this back cast, you should 

 imagine that there is a small piece of wet clay stuck 

 rather insecurely on the top of your rod, and that from 



