14 THE SCIENCE OF DRY FLY FISHING. 



The beginner should, at the commencement of the 

 backward strike, hold the line between the finger and 

 thumb of the left hand, having a few feet of slack 

 line hanging down between the hand and the reel, as in 

 Plate I. 



As the strike backward is made, the left hand can, 

 if required, assist the rod by a downward pull of the line 

 (see Plate VIII.), and when the forward stroke is finished 



r 



DIAGRAM 4. SHOWING FORWARD CAST. 



F C, position of rod before casting forward. (Plate V.) 



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



F A, position of rod at end of cast before lowering. (Plate VI.) 



C B A, theoretical curve made by top of rod when moved from C to A 



C B A, real curve made by rod from C to A when propelling line. 



C A D, a dotted line showing direction of force. 



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



and the rod straightens as the belly of the line shoots 

 forward, followed gently by the rod, the left hand should 

 feed the line up again towards the lower ring. (See 

 Plate VII.) The more directly the rod is pointed at the 

 forward travelling line the more easily the line will run 



