344 THE SALMON FLY. 



knowledge ; at least, I hope so, for while arranging and adapting them 

 to our purpose, I had this one important particular in my mind's eye. 

 Let him examine closely Illustration No. 1, for it clearly suggests that in 

 thus lifting the rod and bringing it back and round in such limited space 

 the force cannot be very great. I am, in short, clearly of the opinion 

 that if the Spey rod were over-powerful, the action of it alone would 

 compel the fly-end of the line to travel moch too far up-strearn after the 

 line is lifted from the water. 



In making the cast, the impetus is given to the rod almost entirely 

 by the right hand. The pear-shaped figure which the point of the rod 

 describes is depicted in Illustration No. 1 just as it appears in the 

 original photograph. But in point of shape this figure varies, sometimes 

 for one reason sometimes for another. 



First, in wading, or we will say, working on ground free from all 

 obstructions, the rod descends not much outward, but nearer the right 

 shoulder, backwards ; at any rate, in a far more continuous line with the 

 casting line. Here, then, to get the necessary sweep of the rod in 

 bringing it round afterwards, the point must come more over the bank 

 actually behind the Angler, consequently the part of the figure in No. 1 

 Illustration , where the line seems to cross or intersect itself, leans out over 

 the water, whilst, of course, the base of the dotted line Is more round 

 towards the bank. By keeping the above considerations before us we 

 shall best attain our object to fish often with as little fatigue as possible. 



For a second example, we will take for illustration the cast made 

 across the water. Here, as intimated, the rod, in descending, reaches 

 an angle of 35 degrees in order to place the fly well out upon the water, 

 therefore the figure differs in shape. But this variation in the "Spey" 

 is often adopted in order to keep the part of the line which curves round 

 astern of the Angler, from boughs hanging over the water (up river) 

 almost within reach of the rod ; so, in forming the first part of the figure, 

 it is imperative to give considerable outward impetus to the rod in its 

 descent by icrist action. The natural sequence from this detrusion is 

 that the fly strikes the water, not close in, but far out upon it, and that 

 is why the rod can be brought round for the thrash-down nearer the 

 perpendicular, instead of deviating in a greater degree than usual from the 



