88 A rlificial-Fly Fishing. 



I am aware that, in much of what has been said 

 here, I am running counter to the expressed opin- 

 ions of many anglers perhaps of most anglers 

 who use the ordinary rod and reel line. Mr Stewart, 

 for instance, advises the angler to " make the line 

 go to its full length behind, and then pausing for 

 a moment till it has done so, urge the rod for- 

 ward ; " and again, " not to urge the flies forward 

 till they have gone the full length behind, or he 

 will be apt to crack them off;" and again, "to 

 employ considerable force in casting, and never 

 allow the rod to make a lower angle with the 

 water than from 40 to 45 ; " and lastly, to " let 

 the flies fall first upon the water, and as little 

 of the line with them as possible." 



Now I am not greatly concerned at present 

 either to support these statements or to controvert 

 them, but simply to point out that, whether correct 

 or not as regards the ordinary rod angling, in fly- 

 fishing with the loop-line they are not applicable. 

 With a light untapered line on a reel greater force 

 is required to cast than with a loop-line, and this, 

 as has been urged, is one of the disadvantages of 

 the reel-line in a long day's fishing. The effort 

 necessary to extend the loop-line over the water 

 will depend very much on the strength and direc- 

 tion of the wind, an opposing wind necessitating 

 greater effort, a favouring one scarcely any; but 



