DRAG 127 



line does not extend itself fully, but lies in a snaky 

 wriggle across the surface, and it has to float a 

 considerable distance before it can exert any influ- 

 ence upon the fly. 



The favourite solution when possible may be 

 that shown in Fig. 5. The angler walks down to 

 the tail of the pool, wades across to the other bank, 

 and tries the effect of a cast up and across stream. 

 The trout may, however, be rather close to the 

 bank to be an easy conquest. When all other casts 

 appear foredoomed to failure, he should endeavour 

 to place the fly, from any position he likes, straight 

 to the trout's nose ; that is to say, he should make 

 drag impossible by giving it no time to develop 

 because the fly has no journey to perform ; it has 

 already arrived at its destination and often it re- 

 ceives a hearty welcome and sometimes, of course, 

 a cold reception. 



We have still to examine a case in which the fly 

 is retarded in its course. The diagrams illustrate 

 a bend of the river where the fast flow is along one 

 bank, the remainder of the water being relatively 

 quiet and gentle. The angler who casts direct to 

 the trout, as in Fig. I, will find that his slowly 

 moving line keeps back his fly, which is dragged 

 into the slack water, as in Fig. 2. 



What he should have done was to move up as in 

 Fig. 3, and try the underhand cast or switch across 

 to the opposite bank. The line falls in a convex 

 curve, and therefore the fly moves freely for a 

 considerable time. We rather like this cast, finding 

 it highly successful, but we do not move up all at 

 once ; we proceed gradually upstream, casting 

 all the time, estimating the distance and strength 



