STRATEGY 155 



it is poor policy to tire oneself by attempting to cast the 

 extreme lengths. Early or late in the day, in bright 

 weather, it is a good plan to cast toward the sun when- 

 ever possible to avoid long shadows and when the 

 sun is high and bright the canny angler saves the likeli- 

 est spots for the few, fleeting intervals that a friendly 

 fleece of clouds hides the sun. 



Whatever length of line one casts he should cultivate 

 a high back cast, take care that he doesn't hang his 

 flies in the brush and put his casts down straight and 

 quietly. Whether to fish down or up stream is some- 

 thing for each angler to decide for himself. Bass 

 fishermen, when wading, usually fish down stream cast- 

 ing diagonally across, permitting the fly to sink and 

 retrieving it " steady by jerks " as an old river hand 

 once put it. Some anglers " flutter " their flies on the 

 surface for a moment before they sink by manipulating 

 the rod but this is generally unnecessary when fishing a 

 stream. 



Well here at last, young Venator, is the getting in 

 place. For a while you had better merely follow and 

 observe me and thus you will sooner " get the hang " 

 of this merry business of taking basses on fraudulent 

 feathers. We will keep to the left bank going down 

 stream, and thus avoid the necessity of casting left 

 handed. 



That gray gaunt tree lying there in the swift water 

 near the other shore might shelter a bass. Note that 

 black hole under it in the bed of the stream ; surely a 



