192 A BOOK ON ANGLING 



or violence of any kind, towards the point aimed at (say a yard 

 above a rising fish), and if the cast be deftly made the fly will 

 fall like nature itself on the surface, and the light fine gut will 

 also be extended upon it. No motion of drawing towards the 

 rod or angler must be made, or the line will make " centipedes " 

 on the water, and the fly be drowned. The stream must bear it 

 along the surface without check or motion, the angler following 

 the fly down with the point of the rod and a loose line. When a 

 fish rises give him time to turn his head, and then strike firmly 

 but not heavily, and get on terms with your fish as soon as you 

 can. When the swim is over you can pull out and cast again, 

 and be sure and get the fly off the water as expeditiously as 

 possible, but without violence of course there is no necessity 

 to take the line 'twixt finger and thumb again. Cast as in 

 artificial fly-fishing, but with less force and abruptness, and 

 cause the line to describe more of a circle behind you, as the 

 slightest " flick " or " crack " will necessitate putting on a new 

 fly. At every cast you may let out a foot or two of line, until 

 you get out as much as you can cast. I have seen anglers who 

 could cast near a dozen yards of line with a live fly at the end, 

 with the slightest air or wind behind them. A long, light, and 

 especially a pliable rod (more particularly at the top) is required 

 for this kind of fishing ; and though it is very deadly, it is not 

 equal, of course, to the blow-line, while it affords as much sport 

 as, and requires more skill than, casting with the artificial fly ; 

 but it has its drawbacks. It is " finicking," fidgetty work. The 

 constant renewing of the flies, and the great care required in 

 casting, the necessity for avoiding carefully every leaf and twig, 

 make it a troublesome business at the best, though it is almost 

 always in suitable weather, when practised by an adept, 

 productive of a good basket. In May fly fishing, of course, one 

 of the requisites is a good supply of fine fresh green May flies 

 the greener or yellower the better. Eschew as much as possible 

 the black and shiny transformation, as the fish greatly prefer 

 the freshly-hatched insect ; these it is most desirable to have 

 caught on the morning of fishing if possible. They should be 

 kept in a small basket made for the purpose, and sold at many 

 tackle-makers' ; this is semicircular in form, like a soldier's 

 canteen, in fact, and has a lid and an aperture whence the flies 

 can be taken as they are required. The basket is strapped to 

 the waist by a leathern strap, and thus can be arranged 

 wherever it may be found most convenient to the hand. 



There are many other natural flies and insects that can 



