142 PRACTICAL FLY FISHING 



the upper arm may be put into use. Thrashing, how- 

 ever, should be avoided make the rod do the work. 

 This point was well brought out by F. M. Halford, 

 the famous English dry fly fisherman: ". . . In 

 throwing a long line the upper arm will come into use 

 in addition to the wrist and forearm, as the angler will 

 have to feel the line of the backward cast through the 

 arc of a larger circle. The force required to propel 

 various lengths of line without over casting or under 

 casting (the first of these terms meaning the use of 

 too much, and the second of too little, power to extend) 

 and only just extending the line, varies directly with 

 every yard of line used. This adaptation of the power 

 to cast, of cause to effect, constitutes the secret of how 

 to cast well." 



". . . It must always be remembered that hearing 

 much sound proceed from a rod making a cast is an 

 indication of too much force being used. The late 

 Mr. Marryat said: 'A silent rod and a whistling 

 line mean good casting ' but he added that when throw- 

 ing against a wind a slight ' whoosh ' of the rod is 

 often heard. It may be laid down as an axiom that 

 nine anglers out of ten put too much energy into their 

 casting, and forget to allow the rod to do its fair share 

 of the work." 



In recapitulation, the important phases of casting 

 are: extending the thumb in grasping the rod; keeping 

 the elbow and upper arm close to the body ; ending the 

 back cast with the rod perpendicular; correctly timing 

 the pause. 



