THROWING THE FLY. 21 



Each one, like " Poeta," " nascitur, non fit." Still, 

 some general rules may be laid down for the 

 guidance of the tiro. The grand rule to be ob- 

 served is to make your rod do the work. To " keep 

 a dog and bark yourself" is proverbially foolish; 

 and, having acquired an implement so beautifully 

 adapted for its purpose as a well-made rod, it is 

 absurd not to make full use of it. Strength I 

 mean muscular power is not necessary. I do not 

 say that a strong man, " cceteris paribus" will not 

 throw a better line than a weak one ; but strength 

 is not "the one thing needful/' 

 He whose 



" Rod was made of a sturdy oak, 

 His line a cable that ne'er broke, 

 Whose hook was baited with a dragon's tail, 

 Who sat on a rock and bobbed for a whale," 



could not have thrown ten yards of line if his life 

 depended on it. 



As I have said, let your rod do the work. Be- 

 gin with a short line without a hook, practise on 

 the land till you have got the line, to some extent, 

 under command, and when you commence real 

 fishing, do not attempt too much. Far more fish 

 will be caught by a short line, well thrown, than 

 a long one, badly thrown ; indeed, it will be a 

 miracle if the latter ever succeed. Theoretically 



