INSTRUCTIONS 101 



certain bodies of water are congregated close 

 together. A fish may be observed rising ; but it 

 is not by any means the only fish within a circle of 

 a yard in radius ; there are plenty more near it 

 ready to take a fly when the chance comes, and one 

 of them may succumb to the dropper. 



Meanwhile the pupil has been industriously cast- 

 ing, gradually working his way up the flat, but 

 taking care, however, not to move forward in the 

 act of delivering the flies. He should keep his line 

 waving in the air while he takes a step or two, and 

 only after coming to rest again at a new position 

 should he make a cast. Obviously, if he acts other- 

 wise, the line will not be so tight from rod to fly as 

 it might be and must be, if offers are to have their 

 most welcome ending. 



He is certain to have discovered that his flies will 

 not always oblige him by falling and floating right 

 side up after the manner of a living insect. It is 

 customary to say that they do not float with wings 

 cocked, which is perhaps a more picturesque way of 

 phrasing it but which is correct only if the fly happens 

 to be a copy of one of the Ephemeridce. A cast 

 high in air, as already recommended, will usually 

 result in the fly alighting as intended, and an under- 

 hand cast will almost always succeed in laying it 

 down correctly. To execute this cast the rod should 

 be held out horizontally across the stream, the line 

 flicked sharply backwards and then brought for- 

 ward, but the rod should not be allowed to pass 

 farther upstream than the angler. It is an easy 

 cast to acquire, useful for the purpose mentioned 

 and also in any shallow water, rippling or still, 

 where a trout may readily catch a glimpse of a 



