HINTS FOR BEGINNERS. 7 



that every angler rejects them even at their 

 reduced sale price. 



For the line pay another nine shillings, thirty 

 yards, tapered at each end so as to admit of its 

 reversal upon the reel at the end of the season, 

 or before that in the event of a serious break. 

 For wet fly fishing a level line is good enough 

 but as with care the life of a good line is five 

 seasons whereas the rod may be supplanted after 

 two by an expensive split cane, it is just as well 

 to get the tapered line at once, although the 

 charm is chiefly appreciable in dry fly fishing. 

 By getting an Olinea line something as near to 

 present day perfection can be obtained provided 

 it is aired round a chair back after a day's use 

 and rubbed with vaseliny fingers the next 

 morning while rewinding it on to the reel. 



Before speaking of the * cast ' as the action 

 of throwing the fly, let us consider it as that 

 six or nine foot length of gut which is attached 

 to the line. Some anglers make their own 

 casts : that is they buy hanks of gut of different 

 thicknesses and knot them together. It is 

 probable that at first the most convenient plan 

 is to buy the casts ready made. Later on in 

 one's angling career the making up of casts 

 becomes a leisurely and pleasant mid-day 

 occupation when one is nursing oneself for a 

 strenuous evening's fishing. How well I can 

 recall the very primitive inn where I first 

 enjoyed a day's gut soaking and cast making. 



For whatever style of fishing is adopted a 

 tapered cast from stout to fine gut is decidedly 



