CHAPTER IX 

 THE SCIENCE OF CASTING A TROUT FLY. 



Necessity of learning to cast The two principles of casting How to 

 learn to cast Casting with the single handed rod Position when 

 casting The backward cast The forward cast The movements 

 required when casting diagrammatically considered Practising 

 on the lawn continued Practising over water Misapplied force 

 when casting Wrist and arm action An appreciation of the 

 above methods. 



NECESSITY OF LEARNING How TO CAST 



THE difficulties which are met with on an ordinary river 

 when fly fishing can always be overcome when one's 

 methods of fly-casting are perfect. It is, therefore, of the 

 greatest importance not only to know how to cast, but how 

 to cast in every style. Bearing this in mind, the reader will, 

 I hope, be induced to devote a little time to the following 

 description of the various casts taught by myself, and if a 

 little patient attention be devoted to the matter it will, I 

 feel assured, repay him. 



When actually fishing, the adaptation of a variation of 

 any habit perfectly learnt in order to overcome a new 

 difficulty is better than trying to create an entirely new 

 method in order to surmount any such difficulty. The 

 object of all casting is to get the fly to alight in some 

 desired and definite place. To be able to do this to the best 

 advantage, the line should, in the backward cast, be more or 

 less extended in the air, opposite to the direction in which 

 it has to alight. The smallest backward curve of the line 

 behind the rod will, however, suffice for the forward cast, 



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