120 THE FINE ART OF FISHING 



The everyday fly-fisherman contents himself with 

 short-distance casting and does not sufficiently refine 

 his tackle to make far-casting possible, even if his wrist 

 were equal to the occasion. And quite often the man 

 who owns the finest and most expensive rods, rods 

 made with the utmost manual skill for the express 

 purpose of better-than-average fly-casting, fishes with 

 bait. It is not often that we find an angler whose 

 tackle, skill, stream knowledge, and experience are 

 adequate to the sort of casting and fishing under dis- 

 cussion. And yet at some time on every trout stream, 

 and on some streams at all times, fine and far-casting 

 are imperative for success; and it would seem that no 

 enthusiastic fly-caster should rest satisfied with his 

 tackle and methods until both have been brought to 

 the point where long and delicate casting is within his 

 power. With a view to italicizing the fact that skilled 

 rod handling and discriminating tackle selection have 

 their sure reward, certain times and places are noted 

 in the following paragraphs where and when casting 

 fine and far-off is either advantageous or imperative. 



Generally speaking, the time when a long line and 

 delicate leader and flies are most in demand is in the 

 late spring and summer; not always, of course, even at 

 this time, because the stream is frequently replenished 

 by rains. But when very low and crystal clear water 

 prevails, when a gut leader of average caliber looks on 

 the surface of the water or beneath it like the Atlantic 

 cable, and when the brook trout, poised in the shallow 

 riffles, seem to see the angler for half a mile, then the 

 man who can compass reasonable, not tournament, long- 



