Casting the Fly, 325 



habit is worse in casting than unnecessary contortions of 

 the one, or flourishes of the other. Not only is it exceed- 

 ingly awkward, but it is injurious as well, since it is 

 motion rather than the mere sight of an object which 

 demoralizes the fish. 



The coach will pay particular attention to the back 

 cast, for if this is mastered all else follows. It is the 

 secret of success. In practice, the end of the line, when 

 behind him, should in no case fall below the level of the 

 caster's head; everything below that should be regarded 

 as a fault. There is nothing in fly-fishing which so 

 promptly grades an angler as a high back cast, when 

 circumstances permit its use, while nothing will more 

 prejudice reputation for skill than the habit, even when 

 sitting in a boat, of allowing the flies to touch the water 

 behind the caster. The expert knows how few possess 

 the former accomplishment, and that to him who has it 

 the highest development of the art is possible; while he 

 equally recognizes that the latter is a vicious habit, dif- 

 ficult to overcome, and a perfect bar to real excellence. 



Therefore cultivate a high back cast with the utmost 

 assiduity. It is not difficult to acquire at the beginning, 

 though this is no longer the case when another and dif- 

 ferent habit has been formed. 



The secret of this is to throw the rod but little, if any, 

 beyond the perpendicular on the back cast. The first 

 view in this chapter illustrates the extreme limit. While 

 the butt joint is nearly upright, the upper portion of the 

 rod will bend backward still more. Rods of varying 

 flexibility vary somewhat in this respect. The stiffer 

 may be thrown a little farther back, and still, since they 

 bend less, give the line the required upward direction. I 

 trust I have emphasized the importance of this sufficient- 



