CASTING THE LINE. 105 



pausing for a moment till it has done so, with a 

 circular motion of the wrist and arm urge the rod 

 forward, rapidly at first, but gradually lessening the 

 speed, so that when it stops no recoil of the point 

 will take place. The whole motion of the rod in 

 casting should he in the shape of a horse-shoe ; and 

 care must be taken not to urge the flies forward, till 

 they have gone the full length behind, or you will 

 be apt to crack them off. Many a beginner who 

 cracks off his flies pleases himself with the idea 

 that some trout of large dimensions has carried 

 them away. 



The line must be so thrown that the flies will 

 fall first upon the water, and as little of the line 

 with them as possible. If you were to fish up a 

 strong stream, and allow the middle of your line to 

 light first, before you could get it straight and pre- 

 pared for a rise, your flies would be almost at your 

 feet, and should a trout take one of them on their 

 alighting the most deadly moment in the whole 

 cast the chances of hooking it would be exceed- 

 ingly small. It is very different if the flies light 

 first j the line is then nearly straight from the point 

 of the rod to the flies, and the least motion of the 

 hand is felt almost instantaneously. Again, in fish- 

 ing nooks, eddies, and comparatively still water, at 

 the opposite sides of strong streams, if any of your 

 line lights in the current it is dragged down, and 

 the flies no sooner touch the water, than they are 

 drawn rapidly away in a most unnatural manner, 



