FLY-FISHING. 269 



The writer once cast seventy-two feet with the 

 same cedar rod that won the prize ; but this, al- 

 though without the assistance of any wind, was 

 done from a slight elevation with the aid of a cur- 

 rent, and was measured by the length of line. It is 

 undoubted, moreover, that sixty-three feet is not 

 the limit that can be attained where no attention is 

 paid to delicacy in delivering the flies, or where but 

 one fly or none whatever is used. The line can be 

 cast considerably farther without a fly attached than 

 with it, and the length and taper of casting-line 

 should accord exactly with the weight and taper of 

 line. This has to be regulated in a measure by 

 practice, and should be carefully determined before 

 a public trial is undertaken. 



The author of the American Angler's Book re- 

 commends that the largest fly should be used as the 

 stretcher. This is all wrong, and no one that does 

 so will ever deliver his flies far and neatly. It is 

 contrary to the principle of tapering the line, and 

 has no advantage whatever to recommend it. The 

 largest fly should be the upper dropper or bob, and 

 the next in size the second dropper, while the 

 stretcher should be the smallest. Then not only 

 will the taper be maintained, but if a trout rises at 

 the droppers there will be more probability of strik- 

 ing him. One of the contestants at the trial above 

 mentioned delivered his line so delicately that the 

 flies often could not be seen to strike the water or 

 make the least disturbance on its surface, although 

 the spectators were close to the spot where they fell. 



