CHAPTER XII 



FLY-FISHING PRACTICE 



THE best place to practice is on a pond or 

 pool where a little point juts out from 

 the shore, affording a clear space be- 

 fore and behind you, so that your line will not 

 foul trees or bushes. Lacking this, erect a little 

 platform from which to cast. Secure some 

 planks or boards, then drive two stakes as far 

 out as your boards will reach, nailing a strong 

 cross-piece to them and making the ends of the 

 boards fast to this. A second support nearer 

 shore will be needed, to prevent the planks 

 from springing too much. The width of the 

 platform depends upon your own energy; two 

 planks will serve, though six will be better. 



The height may be only sufficient to clear the 

 water. The regulation height for tournament 

 platforms is eighteen inches above the water. 

 This is all right for bait-casting, but for fly- 

 casting it is an open question whether height is 

 an advantage. I for one do not believe that it 

 is. In distance casting the rod and line are kept 



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