84 THE SCIENTIFIC ANGLER. 



at a weir or waterfall, and dexterously work the bait in 

 the surging boil of water, near and far away, a fifty yards 

 cast being deemed nothing at all wonderful ; but distance 

 is not of so much importance as is a thorough command 

 of the line, which should be gathered by the disengaged 

 left hand, so that no slack hangs about anywhere. To 

 acquire the art of casting should be the first care of the 

 rodster, whether he aspires to bait or fly. When able to 

 pitch the bait fifteen or twenty yards, and from wrist 

 motion to gently insert into water in a way that will not 

 have the effect of disturbing the feeding fish, he may con- 

 gratulate himself on having acquired the leading qualifi- 

 cation requisite to become an adept in the spinning art. 



The water that happens to be nearest the rodster should 

 be fished first, afterwards the centre and opposite sides, 

 and lastly, the obscure and more difficult spots to reach. 

 There the best fish are to be taken. The parts usually 

 to be preferred are the heads and tails of streams ; the 

 few yards of turbulent water at the head of the stream 

 being generally the most productive. 



The speed at which the bait is drawn should be gradu- 

 ated in accordance with the state and color of the water. 

 For instance, in the event of the water being thick and 

 turbid, a much slower motion should be given to the bait, 

 just sufficient to spin it, in fact. The bait, whether 

 natural or artificial, should work freely at the slightest 

 pull in slow running water; upon the other hand, in the 

 clearest possible water, the lure should be brought round 

 at a moderately steady sweep, not with a jerking motion. 

 A sudden stoppage in clear water has the effect rather of 

 alarming than appeasing the natural suspicions of the 

 acute and well-schooled heavy fish; but, in highly dis- 

 colored water, the "halting" or jerking motion is abso- 

 lutely necessary to enable the fish both to see and seize 

 the bait. Behind a projecting rock or bank, where the 

 water is comparatively quiet, no matter whether shallow 



