THE SPEY CAST. 25 



should, if possible, remain on the ground, the heels swinging 

 round as the body turns. The whole of the movement is 

 very simple, but it must be made smoothly and continuously. 

 If the body turns 45 degrees in front, the point of the rod, 

 if held rigidly, will describe the same arc behind, and the 

 line, by the time it has extended itself, will have curved 

 in sympathy with this arc. 



In this and similar movements of the point of the rod 

 lies the great secret of the " Spey " and other casts, the curve 

 of the point of the rod being invariably towards that point 

 of the circle immediately opposite the direction desired 

 for the fly. This curve may, and often will, be made by 

 the motion of the arm, unassisted by any body action, but 

 in order to be successful it will have to follow the exact 

 curve which is made by the point of the rod, when held 

 rigidly, and curved by the swinging motion of the body as 

 it faces towards the desired direction. 



The student will find that his fly will eventually 

 alight and remain poised on the water in the most natural 

 manner at or near the mark he aims at ; the more care- 

 fully he carries out these hints the greater will become 

 his accuracy and lightness of casting. After every three 

 or four casts he should dry his line and fly by switching 

 them backwards and forwards in the air, always allowing 

 the line to extend itself before the reverse stroke is made. 



He is now competent to begin fly fishing for trout, 

 and as he may have no friend at hand to answer his 



