EARLY CASTING PRACTICE 41 



In times of big floods we armed ourselves with long 

 drag poles and caught at the trees and other heavy 

 wreckage that came floating down. The length of 

 this secluded bit of river, from the mill frames to 

 the rocks below, is perhaps about three hundred 

 yards, and was crossed by a long row of stepping- 

 stones. Below them for about two hundred yards 

 ran a beautiful, clean-bottomed stream, deep and 

 black on the far side under the castle bank, and 

 shallowing on our side to a long flattish gravel bed. 

 The nearness of this reach of water to the village, 

 the flat stance obtained on the fine gravel, the 

 sheltered nature of the far bank, the gradually 

 deepening stream from one's feet outward, and the 

 seclusion of the place, all contributed to make it 

 an ideal place for the casting practice of beginners. 



We saw that " Bob " could cast across it, searching 

 out the quiet dark-coloured eddies at the other side, 

 and at the same time keeping his line out of the 

 water sufficiently to prevent immediate drag. His 

 cast would fly out from the end of his line, touch 

 the water like thistledown, and linger momentarily 

 over the yery places where feeding fish were wont 

 to lie. 



Thus was our young ambition again fired. 

 Evening after evening found two or three of us 

 there. All we dearly wanted to do was to cast like 



