TO CAST FLOATING FLY 57 



which places the fly, cocked and floating, upon 

 the surface of the stream; second, the subse- 

 quent manipulation of the fly in such a manner 

 that its action approximates with all possible 

 fidelity the action of the natural fly the fly 

 must float in the exact manner of the natural 

 fly under like circumstances. Granting judi- 

 cious selection of the fly in the first instance and 

 some skill and finesse in placing it, it is with the 

 correct action of the fly after all the most im- 

 portant thing in the whole art of dry fly fishing 

 that the sportsman has chiefly to deal, and 

 the dealing is not always of the easiest. 



It should go without saying that properly 

 and effectively to cast and fish the floating fly it 

 is essential that the tackle be correctly as- 

 sembled. In this regard I believe the point 

 most in need of emphasis is the question of the 

 right way to fit the reel to the rod; that this 

 should be done so that the reel is underneath 

 the rod with its handle to the right (in the case 

 of the right-handed caster) is in my experience 

 the only satisfactory and thoroughly efficient 

 way. With the reel thus placed it is never 

 necessary, when playing a fish, to turn the rod 

 over so that the reel is above, as in the case 

 when the reel is fitted to the rod with the handle 

 to the left. After a. fish is struck, if it bV 



