PRACTICAL FLY-FISHING. 45 



Now, there is no better plan than for the tyro to go 

 down to the water and patiently practice. The attitude 

 should be easy and that which suits the angler best ; it 

 is absurd to tell a man exactly how he should stand, as if 

 he were learning ballet-dancing, and indeed, so far as 

 mere verbal instruction is concerned, I am conscious that 

 I might almost as well give instructions in the " manly art 



Fig. 6. MODE OP HOLDING BOD. 



of self-defence " as in the manly art of fly-casting. How- 

 ever, I take my chances of making myself clear and in- 

 structive by the aid of the illustrations. 



The trout-rod, if single handed and I don't favor a 

 double handed one unless you are fishing in very wide 

 water should be taken in hand as shown in Figure 6, - 

 and the elbow should be kept as close to the side as pos- 

 sible. My father used to put me through my exercises 

 with a small book placed between my elbow and side, and I 

 have found this a remarkably good corrective for the dis- 

 position to swing the arm unduly. This latter does not 

 add to the length of the cast, and certainly detracts from 



