390 BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. 



purpose, slip a knot of the leader (about three or four feet 

 from the tail-fly) apart, and, after making a round knot in 

 the end of the snell of the fly, put it through the opened 

 knot of the leader and draw together; this will hold firm, 

 and the dropper-fly will stand at right angles from the 

 leader. 



If, however, the gut-lengths of the leader are tied by 

 hard, close knots, instead of the slip-knot or double 

 water-knot, then the snell of the dropper must be attached 

 close to and above a knot of the leader, by a single knot 

 or half-hitch, a round knot having previously been made 

 in the end of the snell, to prevent the half-hitch from 

 working loose ; this is probably as good and safe a way as 

 any. 



The cast is now ready, for I do not advise the use of 

 more than two flies. If, however, the angler wishes to 

 employ three, the third fly, or second dropper, must be 

 attached three feet above the first dropper, and, in this 

 case, the leader should be nine feet long. But the begin- 

 ner will have all he can attend to with a six-feet leader 

 and two flies. The leader having been previously straight- 

 ened by soaking in water, or rubbing with India-rubber 

 (the former method is to be preferred), and attached to the 

 reel-line, the angler is now armed and equipped as the law 

 directs, and ready for 



CASTING THE FLY. 



Casting the artificial fly is performed by two principal 

 motions, a backward and a forward one. The former is 

 to throw the flies behind the angler, and the latter is to 

 project them forward and beyond. That is all there is 



