86 Artificial-Fly Fishing. 



character of his fly is not so readily discovered ; 

 and even should he not get a " rise " when his fly 

 alights, his chances of success are often just as 

 good when the stream is carrying his flies gently 

 and naturally down. Hence it is that I recommend 

 the beginner to take his first lessons in the gently 

 running streams, and leave the pools till he has 

 acquired an amount of facility and precision in 

 casting to which a tyro may not reasonably lay 

 claim. 



In casting, the rod should be grasped with both 

 hands the left near the butt, and the right about 

 eight or nine inches higher up. There being no 

 reel on the rod, the hands can be so placed as to 

 secure the amount of leverage necessary for a good 

 cast. The upper parts of the arms are kept close 

 to the body, and only the wrists and forearms are 

 brought into play; so that anything like "thrashing" 

 the water is avoided. Having made his first cast 

 over the water mainly to get his line out in front 

 of him, the young angler must now raise the point 

 of his rod a little to bring the line round in a curve 

 sufficiently near him, and so much under command 

 as will enable him to lift it gently from the water 

 and to make the next cast. This movement is 

 effected by raising the rod gradually towards the 

 perpendicular, and causing the point of it to de- 

 scribe something of a horse-shoe curve, when the 



