THROWING THE SALMON FLY. 317 



" Casting the fly is a knack," says Mr. Scrope, 

 " and cannot well be taught but by experience. 

 The spring of the rod should do the chief work, 

 and not the labour of your arm. To effect this, 

 you should lay the stress as near the hand as 

 possible, and make the wood undulate from that 

 point, which is done by keeping your elbow in 

 advance, and doing something with your wrist, 

 which is not very easy to explain. Thus the 

 exertion should be chiefly from the elbows and 

 wrists, and not from the shoulders. You should 

 throw clear beyond the spot where the salmon 

 lie, so that they may not see the fly light upon 

 the water; then you should bring the said fly 

 round the stream, describing the segment of a 

 circle, taking one step in advance at every throw. 

 In this manner the fish see your fly only, and not 

 the line. It is customary to give short jerks 

 with the fly as you bring it round, something in 

 the manner of minnow-spinning, but in a more 

 gentle and easy way ; and I think this manner is 

 the most seducing you can adopt ; it sets the 

 wings in a state of alternate expansion and con- 

 traction that is extremely captivating." 



How you are to fish a stream. Salmon will 

 often take your fly on one side of the river when 

 they will not touch it on the other. In high 

 water, the channel side, as a general rule, is the 

 best, and at the cheek of the current ; and you 



