44 THE FINE ART OF FISHING 



loose and snap forward into the small of your back 

 with considerable velocity and no little penetration. 

 The smashing effect, however, is usually upon the net 

 ultimately. Instead of the net carry a little pocket-axe ; 

 it is far more useful. 



Possibly the greatest factor for success in this sort 

 of fishing is the faculty of going slowly, never hurry- 

 ing by places which look a little difficult 



n/r 1 ^ 1 ^ to fish and consequently have probably 

 Methods . , 



been neglected by other anglers, and 



carefully fishing out all fishable water. Here and 

 there, in little clearings and where the stream widens 

 out, you can make short casts in the usual manner; in 

 other places the flies may be got out by simply swing- 

 ing them over the water as you would cast a "a garden 

 hackle." Often the only way of getting out the flies 

 is to make a "snap cast," using a line about the length 

 of your rod, grasping the end fly between the thumb 

 and forefinger of the left hand, pulling straight back so 

 as to get a good bend in the rod, and then releasing the 

 line always avoiding the possibility of hooking your- 

 self in the fingers. In this manner very accurate casts 

 may be made after a little practice. 



When a trout is hooked, if the banks are so brushy 

 that you cannot beach him or swing not throw him 

 out, the fish should be slowly reeled in up to the leader- 

 knot, taking pains not to reel this knot through the tip 

 guide and thus fouling the line, and then brought 

 in through the brush by pulling the rod toward you 

 down low. Many trout will be lost by attempting to 

 land them in this way and it should only be used as 3 



