THE SCIENCE OF CASTING A TROUT FLY 161 



THE MOVEMENTS REQUIRED WHEN CASTING, 



DlAGRAMMATICALLY CONSIDERED 



PRACTISING ON THE LAWN continued 



It will now be advisable for the student to consider the 

 above instruction in a more detailed manner. 



Starting then from the normal position, i.e., with the 

 forearm horizontal, the elbow slightly advanced, the angle 

 between the upper arm and the forearm being about 

 115 degrees, and the rod inclined upward above the horizon 

 at an angle of twenty-two degrees (see Diagram 10), the 

 attention has to be kept on the tip of the forefinger, which 

 is steadily, but with increasing force, raised vertically 

 about twelve inches. 



If the rod be kept in its original angle to the forearm 

 (see Diagram 10) by an inflexibly controlled wrist, this will 

 increase its inclination to about sixty degrees above the 

 horizon, and will bring its top ring to about ten feet 

 above the lawn, the line being lifted well up by this 

 movement. 



The thumb nail should now be about level with the eye, 

 and as the elbow has been lifted a few inches and advanced 

 still further away from the body, the arm has straightened 

 itself somewhat, opening the angle between the forearm and 

 the upper arm to about 140 degrees (see S E H Diagram 9). 



The lifting action is not checked, but steadily accelerated 

 into a backward cast, and is brought to an abrupt stop by 

 the thumb as the forearm attains a vertical position (see 

 Diagram 9).* 



The wrist having been kept rigid by the attention devoted 

 to the forefinger and the thumb, the rod, as it straightens 

 itself, will be inclined backward at its usual angle to the 



* One of the objects of the accelerando movements of the rod in its backward 

 and forward action respectively, is to give the greatest impulse to the line 

 at the moment when the rod point is checked. 



12 



