192 FLY FISHING AND SPINNING 



which it has already been extended forward, and in which 

 plane it has to be returned. 



The slack of the line is first gathered in as the rod is 

 lowered to the water, and the rod point is then steadily 

 raised in order to get the line well on the surface of the water 

 It is then brought back horizontally by a steady side move- 

 ment, through a horizontal angle of about 110 degrees. This 

 movement is then converted into a steady upward circular 

 movement until the rod top is as high as the overhanging 

 obstacles will allow, and it is then brought forward in an 

 accelerating side cast towards its destination. The height 

 at which the forward action of the rod can be made is 

 determined by the overhanging danger the tree, the arch 

 of the bridge, or culvert, etc., etc. 



The first portion of this cast is obviously very simple ; 

 the line and fly are not flicked off the water, but follow back 

 along the surface as the rod moves backward. 



The latter portion of the cast, however, owing to its 

 more limited scope of action, requires more practice than 

 the loop cast, before the correct forward loop of the line 

 is created by the forward movement of the point of 

 the rod. 



The wrist must be kept stiff, although the hand, as in 

 the side cast, has to be twisted palm up, so that the thumb 

 precedes the rod as it is brought back sideways, and as the 

 circular and forward switching movement begins the thumb 

 is thus able to force the rod forward. 



THE SPEY CAST OR THROW 



The Spey cast is a variation of the Loop and Switch, and 

 has to be made when it is desired to cast the line and fly out 

 of one plane into another, that is, to cast the fly from right 

 to left when the rod has to be used on the left side of the 

 body, and from left to right when the rod has to be used 



