LEARNING TO CAST 19 



somewhat skeptical, but the week before we were 

 scheduled to leave town, he came to our home and we 

 had a "session" out in the alley. In two hours he was 

 casting fairly well at sixty and seventy feet, and with a 

 few more hours' practice, in the evenings of the follow- 

 ing week, he became quite proficient proficient enough 

 to make the writer exert himelf to keep a fish or two 

 ahead of him during the next two weeks. Of course, he 

 is one of those fellows who quickly "get the hang of 

 things." 



The best way to learn casting is to have some experi- 

 enced caster act as teacher and coach the rudiments 

 can be learned in an hour or so, and the rest, of course, 

 depends on the aptitude of the pupil and the amount of 

 practice he devotes to the work. 



In most of the larger cities, there are casting clubs 

 which have casting pools in the public parks, and the 

 person who wants to learn should go to one of these 

 pools with his tackle. Here he will find plenty of 

 capable teachers, who will gladly lend a hand, without 

 charge, of course, because well, just because the mem- 

 bers of these clubs are invariably good fellows. 



Lacking a tutor, the young angler must "pick it up" 

 himself, which is not at all difficult, and we will try to 

 offer here some helpful suggestions. Probably the 

 best place to learn is a clear stretch of water without 

 obstructions of any kind, but the majority of city ang- 

 lers undoubtedly learned on a lawn or in an alley. 



