10 HANDBOOK OF ANGLING. 



CHAPTER II. 



THROWING THE LINE AND FLIES. HUMOURING THEM. 



FISHING A STREAM. STRIKING, HOOKING, PLAYING, AND 

 LANDING A FISH. 



OUR language contains many pretty, pithy, and 

 largely expressive figures of speech. One^ man 

 says of another, " he is the best ' whip' in Eng- 

 land." We understand by one little word that 

 he is alleged to be the best driver and manager 

 of horses in harness in the kingdom. So when 

 we say, " he throws a line, or a fly better 

 than any man we know," we mean to assert that 

 he is the best fly-fisher of our acquaintance. 

 The possession of the one power implies the 

 possession of all the other necessary qualifications. 

 Throwing well the line is an indispensable fly- 

 fishing qualification, the first to be learned, 

 always called into play, and without which other 

 attributes are nearly valueless. You may hook 

 a fish well, play a fish well, land a fish well, but 

 you will very seldom have an opportunity of 

 doing so unless you throw a line well. We judge 

 of a fly-fisher by the manner in which he casts 

 his line. If he does so with ease and elegance, 

 and efficiently, we set him down as an adept in 



