314 HOW TO ATTACH THE FLY. 



posing it to exist, pick out a nice round, lengthy strand of 

 gut, if the fly be used as a single fly or as a stretcher ; if a 

 dropper, it may be shorter, say of four or five inches 

 when attached. Tie a sound loop in the upper end where- 

 with to loop it to the casting-line, then put the other point 

 through the eye, take a uirn of the gut round the eye 

 until the point is on the same side as the gut first came 

 through the eye, then return it through the eye again, 

 and you have it looped on to the eye of the hook. The 

 end, however, is still loose, and it is evident that at any 

 strain it would slip back again through the eye. Then 

 take the fly in your left hand, take hold of the fag end, 

 and make a complete turn round the gut, and put the end 

 through the tie or opening thus formed in fact, make a 

 regular tie knot, and draw it tight, after the style of tying 

 shown in Plate III. fig. 1, p. 95. Repeat the operation so 

 as to make two knots lying side by side as closely as pos- 

 sible. Pull the knots home as tightly as you can, by 

 taking the fag end between your teeth or pliers, then pull 

 the gut and slide the knots down to the eye, cut off the 

 end, and your fly is ready to be looped on to the cast. 



And now we will suppose that the angler is suited with 

 rod, line, cast, and flies. We will assume that he knows 

 something of fly-fishing, has at least used a single-handed 

 trout-rod. The motions gone through with the rod-point 

 are precisely similar with a single and a double-handed 

 rod, save that a somewhat wider sweep is made with the 

 latter. The left hand holds the rod below the reel, and the 

 right grasps it at a convenient spot above ; sufficient line 

 is let off the reel for the cast; the point of the rod is 

 waved backwards over the right shoulder ; the right hand 

 comes almost to the level of the shoulder (in long casts a 

 trifle above it). Give the line time to extend itself back- 

 wards, making a sweep round with the point of the rod, 

 still feeling the line as you do so ; direct it towards the 



