150 ANGLING. 



" You bring your rod round, by, over, and beyond tha 

 point of your left shoulder, which motion will carry the 

 line to its full extent upwards over the bed of the river, 

 and feeling that the line is so extended, you bring back a 

 little, in the direction you are going to cast, the point of the 

 rod, and making use chiefly of the action of the left arm, 

 you propel the line forward by a motion you give the rod, 

 as if you were going to strike at something hovering in the 

 air before you. The forward motion of the rod will be 

 checked at a short distance, unless you bend forward with 

 it, and the line will be sent straight out, the fly and gut- 

 line to which it is attached coming first in contact with 

 the water. 



" Giving the arms and bending the body too much with 

 the rod, in making the cast, is a very bad habit, as it brings 

 the point of the rod too close to the surface of the water, 

 deadens its elasticity, and causes the line to fall in a loose 

 and slovenly manner on the water. This left shoulder cast is 

 only absolutely necessary when you are fishing from beneath 

 the right bank of a river, and have behind you impediments 

 to a right-hand sweep of your rod and line. If the right 

 bank be flat or shelving, if it be clear of obstructions, I 

 can see no material objection to right-shoulder casting 

 from off it. 



" The straight right-shoulder cast is done thus : The 

 right hand holds the rod above the winch, the left below it , 

 the right side is next the river, and of course the right foot 

 is foremost. You bring your rod and line boldly and freely 

 in a fine, easy, wide, semicircular sweep over your right 

 shoulder, and then you send them forwards by communi- 

 cating to the right fore-arm sharp action, as if you were 



