FLY-CASTING PRACTICE 107 



part of it. This is as it should be. You will 

 also notice that when you retrieve smartly, stop 

 the rod overhead, wait patiently until the line 

 pulls hard behind you, then make the for- 

 ward cast without any snap at all you will 

 notice, I say, that considerably more line runs 

 through your left hand, and that it lies out 

 straight on the water without splash. 



Remember that in fishing for trout that are 

 shy, the less you disturb the water the better. 

 Hence the value of learning to shoot the line 

 instead of extending it by a series of casts, 

 any one of which may frighten away your fish. 

 " Shooting" means the jump the line makes at 

 the end of the forward cast when the back 

 cast is high up and properly timed. 



Do not try to work out too far. It is better 

 to work out in two or three casts, followed by 

 a shoot, then strip in and begin over again. 

 If you try repeatedly to lift all the line you can 

 get out, you will only tire your wrist and make 

 slovenly work of it. 



Try again, but give attention to the left hand 

 now. In the forward cast extend the left hand 

 the right foot forward. At the end of the cast, 

 and just before you begin to lift, pull in the line 

 smartly until the left hand rests against the 

 body. This will straighten the line on the 



