1#J HOW TO CAST. 



cast back about fourteen or fifteen inches from the ear and 

 returned forward at about six or eight inches. In Plate 

 VI. fig. 4, p. 130, the diagram shows the direction the rod- 

 point is supposed to travel over, as regards the head of the 

 angler, which may be seen beside it. Now, in bringing 

 the fly forward, the angler should fix his eye upon the 

 spot he desires to cast towards, and endeavour to make the 

 hand second the eye by urging the point of the rod to- 

 wards it ; there should be no jerking ; the forward motion 

 should be a little swifter than the backward one. When 

 the point of the rod has reached an angle of about 45, 

 the motion should be checked or eased, so as to gradually 

 check the line and let it fall lightly on the water. If this 

 be not done, or a sort of forward cut be made, as though 

 the angler were chopping at the opposite bank with his 

 rod, the line is cast clean and hard down into the water, 

 and the flies make a splash. This may be requisite in 

 very windy weather, particularly if the wind be adverse, 

 but in such circumstances light throwing is of less conse- 

 quence, as the water will probably be rough, and the only 

 object is to get the line out at all. If the angler follows 

 these directions properly, his line will fall neatly and well 

 in the water. He should let it rest a second or so, then 

 commence raising the point of his rod gradually until it 

 almost reaches the position he started from, when he 

 must, with a swift drag, raise the line sharply and neatly 

 from the water, fetching the line back over his shoulder, 

 and repeat his cast as already shown. 



When by practice he can manage this throw neatly and 

 well, he may let out a little more line, and so go on in- 

 creasing the length of his throws, until he gets about 

 twice the length of his rod out. For a first lesson he will 

 find this sufficient ; with this he had better practise until 

 lie can throw lightly and well towards his mark. Subse- 

 quent practice will no doubt enable him to cast three 



