100 ON TROUTING WITH THE FLY. 



pausing for a moment till it lias done so, with a 

 circular motion of the wrist and arm urge the rod 

 forward, rapidly at first, but gradually lessening the 

 speed, so that when it stops, no recoil of the point 

 will take place. The whole motion of the rod in 

 casting should be in the shape of a horse shoe ; and 

 care must be taken not to urge the flies forward, till 

 they have gone the full length behind, or you will 

 be apt to crack them off. Many a beginner who 

 cracks off his flies pleases himself with the idea 

 that some trout of large dimensions has carried them 

 away. 



The line must be so thrown that the flies will 

 fall first upon the water, and as little of the line 

 with them as possible. If you were to fish up a 

 strong stream, and allow the middle of your line to 

 light first, before you could get it straight and pre- 

 pared for a rise, your flies would be almost at your 

 feet, and should a trout take one of them on their 

 alighting the most deadly moment in the whole 

 cast the chances of hooking it would be exceedingly 

 small. It is very different if the flies light first ; 

 the line is then nearly straight from the point of the 

 rod to the flies, and the least motion of the hand is 

 felt almost instantaneously. Again, in fishing nooks, 

 eddies, and comparatively still water, at the opposite 

 sides of strong streams, if any of your line lights in 

 the current it is dragged down, and the flies no 

 sooner touch the water, than they are drawn rapidly 

 away in a most unnatural manner, and without 



