10 THE SCIENCE OF DRY FLY FISHING. 



and falls in a straight line behind you. It is a good plan 

 to follow it back with your eye, and by doing this you 

 will soon be able to regulate the strength of your back- 

 ward cast. 



You must now learn to make your back cast without 

 your friend's assistance. 



Shorten the line, leaving only about twenty feet beyond 

 the top ring of your rod. 



Get into the first position again, holding the line in 

 your hand, and the rod at an angle of about 20 degrees. 

 (See F A, Diagram I.) Now straighten out your arm, 

 and at the same time lift it and the point of the rod 

 together, letting go the line, and as it flies away from 

 you in a circular outward sweep the back stroke must be 

 made as before, letting your elbow return to its original 

 position as the line travels back. 



Repeat this until you can make the back cast in this 

 way easily and without fouling. You are now ready to 

 make the forward cast. 



THE FORWARD CAST. 



In following the line in its backward journey it will 

 be noticed that it takes some little time to extend itself 

 before falling to the ground, and a pause is therefore 

 necessary between the back stroke and the forward cast 

 in order to allow this extension of the line. It is precisely 



