Casting the Fly. 319 



newspaper, retaining it in position by stones or similar 

 weights placed on the corners. Let this, your target, be 

 about eighteen to twenty-four inches square, and of sev- 

 eral thicknesses, that a hit may at once be distinguished 

 from a miss by the rustle of the line on the paper. Use 

 a cheap linen line for practice, E in size, and without 

 leader or flies. A braided line is to be preferred. This 

 will perfectly serve the purpose, and save whipping out 

 the more expensive water-proof line you will employ in 

 actual fishing. 



To acquire a proper back cast throwing the line be- 

 hind preparatory to the forward cast usually gives the 

 beginner the most trouble. He cannot see behind him, 

 and though he fully appreciates that his forward cast is 

 a botch, he cannot locate the difficulty, and knows neither 

 to what this is due nor how it is to be overcome. Here 

 the eyes of his friend supplement those of the caster. 

 Each effort to improve is appraised; the successful is dis- 

 tinguished from the unsuccessful attempt the one con- 

 demned, the other approved until in a very short time 

 and with very little trouble a habit of casting is formed 

 which is not only efficient, but at the same time easy and 

 graceful. 



Therefore I say again, and I say with the more em- 

 phasis because I believe I stand alone in this recommen- 

 dation, practise this art with a companion, and alternate- 

 ly at brief intervals let each coach the other. Let the 

 coach make some comment on every cast made, as, for ex- 

 ample, " Your back cast was too low," " Your line did 

 not straighten out behind," " Your forward cast was too 

 quick," " Keep your body still," " Keep your elbow to 

 your side," " There, that back cast was all right try to 

 repeat it," etc., etc., remembering to approve the good 



