How to fish Certain Waters. 55 



throwing the whole of the line clear out. This move- 

 ment must, as I before said, be made in an .oval form 

 (and not a straight back and forward one) with the point 

 of the rod. The greatest care is required to let the line 

 be well behind you in the oval sweep before you make 

 the forward smart movement, or you will, undoubtedly, 

 either crack off your end-fly, @r your line and flies will 

 beat in a heap just before you, to your no small mortifi- 

 cation. Single-hair fishing with a long line requires 

 very great nicety, on account of the greater delicacy of 

 the material. As I have just before said, in directing 

 your fly when making your cast, aim with the point of 

 your rod at the object ; for you should never throw with- 

 out some definite aim ; just as you would have done 

 had it been a pellet on the end of a hazel with which 

 you were aiming at the object, letting the end of your 

 rod fall so as the whole of your stinting may light upon 

 the water at the same time, and not your point-fly only, 

 as many writers tell you, which is only necessary when 

 fishing a natural fly or in particular and difficult places. 

 Always have your best killer for the tail or end fly, be- 

 cause you thus save much entanglement when netting 

 your fish and can cast it to any point you choose. Besides, 

 as there is hair only on one side, it alights more like the 

 natural fly, and consequently the greatest chance of de- 

 ceiving the sharp eye of the trout. When you wish, 

 then, to cast over a fish that you have seen rise in a still 

 pool, where the water is as bright and clear as glass, then 

 give him the point-fly only, and just on the place where 

 he rose. 



In fishing small places, nooks and eddies by the 

 sides of rapid streams, &c. let no part of your stinting 

 or line be caught by the stream, if possible ; for, if any 

 part is caught by it, your flies are whipt out of the 

 smooth water in an instant, and before the trout there 



