48 THE FINE ART OF FISHING 



drifted here and there in almost exact imitation of half- 

 drowned, struggling insects. In the still- 

 Casting waters it is different. Here life must be 

 Over Pools, imparted to the flies by skilful handling 

 of rod and line; and, too, more care 

 must be taken in the actual casting, that is, the flies 

 must be dropped upon the water with all possible gen- 

 tleness. A cast which in all probability would be a 

 successful one in broken water might cause the flies 

 to impact on the glassy surface of the pool with a 

 splash quite sufficient to prevent any hope of a rise in 

 the immediate vicinity. 



The primary necessity for a successful cast over quiet 

 water is that it be made gently. Then comes the ne- 

 cessity of so handling the tackle that the line shall not 

 become slack; that the flies shall stay well up on the 

 surface and appear alive ; and that immediate advantage 

 may be taken of a strike. Here again working the line 

 with the left hand, stripping it through the guides, 

 solves the problem. In this way the flies are under full 

 control. Also your rod need not be raised much from 

 a line parallel with the water, and when, as sometimes 

 happens, a fish rises when the flies are close to you, the 

 rod is in a position to handle the strike which is not 

 the case when it is pointing to the exact center of the 

 high heavens. 



As a rule the brook trout of the still-waters strikes 



slowly, in a manner quite different from the voracious 



dash of his brothers of the rapids. Leis- 



*>* urely he rises to the surface and sucks 



in the fly, natural or artificial, and with equal delibera- 



