OX CASTING THE SPIXXIXG BAIT. 121 



see that the ground at his feet is clear of fragments of 

 stick, c., which may entangle in his line and spoil his. 

 cast ; then let him draw off as much line as he requires, 

 from his reel, and let it lie in loose coils at his feet. Of 

 course I am supposing here that he is about to fish in the- 

 Thames style, which is that most generally adopted, and ia 

 certainly the best and most attractive. Only on very foul 

 ground is the Nottingham style of spinning at all prefer- 

 able, and even here Thames fishers of experience will 

 often greatly counteract this advantage by the knack which 

 they have of gathering up the line in the palm of the 

 hand by an up and down motion, something like that of 

 a weaver with a shuttle. 



Supposing, then, the line to be ready : it will be be?t 

 to commence with a short line for practice, say ten or 

 fifteen yards ; this can be increased progressively, by 

 pulling some two or three yards extra off the reel between 

 each cast : and just after the angler has made his C(ist 9 . 

 when all the line is out. Holding the rod above the reel 

 firmly in his right hand, with which he clasps the line to- 

 the rod, and with his left hand l taking hold below the reel 

 the point of the rod being elevated in the air at an angle 

 of about forty degrees, and the bait hanging downwards 

 some five or six feet from the rod-point let him wave the 

 bait gently backwards, either to the right or across his. 

 body to the left, so as to get the swing ; and when the 

 bait has reached the full extent of the swing let him. 

 sweep his rod forward rapidly, feeling the weight of the 

 bait and lifting it slightly as he delivers it, opening or 

 loosening his right hand, when he has reached about two- 



1 Some anglers hold tho rod only with the right hand, the hip forming a. 

 rest and a pivot ; the line being held in the left; this is awkward, and 

 lacks the capability of precision which is desirable whether in casting, 

 working, or striking. It also gives tho right arm too much to do, and in 

 a long day's spinning with a 14 or 15-feet rod this will be found a con- 

 sideration. 



