SALMON FISHINO. 135 



most safe for salmon casting lines ; it is a little bigger and 

 coarser than the single, but with stout gut the single will 

 sometimes slip, and the double may be made fairly neat if 

 the threads of gut are arranged so as to lie flat and level, 

 and not ride over one another. It is as well to have a 

 sound well-lashed loop at each end of the casting line ; 

 one for the running line to be fastened on to, which should 

 be done with a single hitch knot ; at the other end the fly 

 should be looped on, a loop being also made for the purpose 

 in the thread of gut fixed to the fly. 



Salmon flies are mostly tied on loops or eyes, either of 

 single or twisted gut, or in some instances a loop or eye is 

 made in the end of the shank of the hook. The simplest 

 and easiest way is to tie a long loop with a double or a 

 single slip knot, whichever the angler prefers. I find the 

 single secure enough if properly soaked, but some prefer 

 the double. Push the bight of the slip loop through loop 

 or eye on the hook so far as to be able to pass the whole 

 of the fly through the loop ; then draw the slip knot home 

 down to the eye and jam it tight : and, having looped the 

 fly on to the cast, you are all ready to begin. On reaching 

 the river side the casting is done exactly as in the case of 

 a double-handed trout fly rod. If you are fishing with 

 your left shoulder to the stream, you should cast from 

 your left shoulder left hand uppermost ; if with the right, 

 from the right. This is desirable, as you hang the fly 

 better in the stream, and that is, as old fishers will tell 

 you, a point of no slight importance, a very little practice 

 makes it immaterial which you use. You must cast across 

 the stream and somewhat down stream, allowing the fly to 

 go down stream until it is straight down from the top of 

 the rod, and working the fly more or less by alternately 

 raising and dropping the point of the rod as you do so. 



