FLY-FISHING. 393 



the line about the length of his rod, to begin with, he 

 takes the hook of the tail-fly between his left thumb and 

 forefinger and stretches the line taut ; then, by waving 

 the rod slightly backward over the left shoulder, and at 

 the same time releasing his hold of the tail-fly, the line 

 straightens out behind him, the right elbow meantime 

 being held close to the body, as the backward movement 

 is made with the wrist and forearm entirely. The position 

 of the right hand during this portion of the cast is with 

 said hand grasping the rod just above the reel (the reel 

 being at the extreme butt, and on the under side of the 

 rod), and with the reel and palm of the hand toward the 

 angler, the thumb looking toward his right shoulder (see 

 figure 1). 



When the line and leader are on a straight line behind 

 him, which the beginner must learn to judge and time ex- 

 actly, without looking behind him, he brings the rod for- 

 ward with a gradually increasing rate of speed, until the 

 rod is slightly in advance of him, say at an angle of fifteen 

 degrees off the perpendicular; then, for the first time, the 

 right elbow leaves the body, and, at the same time, the 

 rod is turned in the hand in the opposite direction (see 

 figure 2); that is, with the back of the hand toward the 

 angler, so that, at the end of the cast, the reel is below the 

 rod, while the back of the hand is upward, and, without 

 stopping the motion of the rod, the right arm is projected 

 forward to its full extent, and on a line with the shoulder 

 (see figure 3). This is the second part or motion of the 

 forward movement, and consists in merely following the 

 direction of the flies with the tip of the rod, so as to ease 

 their rapid flight, and allow them to descend without con- 

 fusion, and to settle upon the water noiselessly, and with- 



