322 FLY FISHING AND SPINNING 



The sudden stopping of the backward or the forward 

 motion of the rod at the moment of its greatest tension will 

 give the flicking off impulse so essential to a perfect cast. 

 The rod must never be jerked at the commencement of any 

 stroke, but drawn, the force gradually increasing up to the 

 moment when the rod is suddenly checked. The hand 

 or hands must always grasp the handle of the rod firmly at 

 the conclusion of each of the backward and forward motions. 

 This grasp will of necessity produce a rigid wrist, and 

 should therefore assist the sudden check which is so 

 important. 



If, therefore, the backward motion of the rod and line 

 has been properly made, and if the correct forward motion 

 be then given to the rod, the impetus imparted to the line 

 will be sufficiently great to pull through the rings of the rod 

 from one to three yards of the slack line between the hand 

 and the reel; this adjunct to all good casting is known as 

 " shooting the line." When fishing it secures the following 

 advantages ; a greater length in the cast, less exertion to 

 reach the desired spot with the fly, greater accuracy, and a 

 lighter fall of the line on the water. The line will only 

 shoot, however, when the correct forward action of the rod 

 is made. In order to permit this extension of the line, it 

 should be released as with the trout line after the rod is 

 brought to a stop in the forward cast, and, if necessary, the 

 spare line should be fed up toward the lower ring with 

 the left hand, the butt end of the rod resting either against 

 the body, or in the butt-rest in the belt of the fisherman. 



THE LEFT-HAND OVERHEAD CAST 



In this cast the left hand should be above, with the 

 thumb pointing up the rod, and right hand below, the left 

 foot and shoulder pointed forward, the action of the rod 

 and the motion of the arms being precisely similar to the 



