108 ART OF ANGLING. 



sending it back, and therefore require an extra 

 sweep in the air before you can get it into play 

 again. If, after sending it back, you make the 

 counter-spring a moment too soon, you will whip oif 

 your tail fly, and if a moment too late your line will 

 fall in a slovenly manner, The knack of catching 

 this time is, therefore, the whole art of throwing 

 well. The motion should be just sufficiently circular 

 to avoid this ; but if too circular, the spring receives 

 too much check, and the gut will then most probably 

 not drop before the line. In a word, allow the line 

 no more than just time to unfold before you repeat 

 the spring of the wrist. This must be done or you 

 will hear a crack, and find that you have whipped 

 oif your tail fly. For this reason, I should recom- 

 mend beginners to learn at first with only a bob ; 

 or they wil] soon empty their own or their friend's 

 fishing book. And at all events, to begin learning 

 with a moderate length of line. 



" I have observed that those young men "who 

 have supple wrists, and the power to whip oif flies, 

 ultimately make better anglers than those who do 

 not, because in this action, like most things, there 

 is really but one step between the sublime and the 

 ridiculous ; and the poor fellow who makes no 

 attempt with energy, will most probably, in this, as 

 in other pursuits, remain all his life in the back 

 ground. 



