

FLY-FISHING. 87 



which there will be very little spring till after 

 about the third foot of its length. A rod too 

 pliable below is as bad a fault as being too stiff ; 

 and from being too small there, is, of course, 

 more liable to be top-heavy, which nine rods in 

 ten are. The consequence is, they tire the 

 hand, and do not drop the fly so neatly. 



REEL. Put on your reel with a plate and 

 wax-end, fifteen inches from the bottom ; and 

 handle your rod close below it, keeping the reel 

 uppermost, as the line then lies on, instead of 

 under, your rod, and is, therefore, less likely to 

 strain the top between the rings. The closer 

 the rings are put together on the top, the less 

 chance, of course, you have of straining or 

 breaking it between them. Use a multiplying 

 click reel, without a stop ; and, by not confi- 

 ning it with the hand while throwing, you are 

 sure never to break your rod or line, by hap- 

 pening to raise it suddenly, at the moment you 

 have hooked a large fish or a weed. Let your 

 reel be full large in proportion to the quantity 

 of line, or it will not always go pleasantly with 

 it in winding up. 



GUT AND FLIES. Use about eight feet of 

 gut, and the addition of that on the tail fly will 

 bring the whole foot-line to about three yards. 

 Put on your bob fly a few inches below the mid- 

 dle ; or, if in a very weedy river, within little 



