398 BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. 



Another caution : The angler should never attempt to 

 cast his flies by main strength, for this will accomplish 

 nothing but confusion ; it takes but little force to retrieve 

 or cast the flies with a well-made^ springy and pliant rod. 

 The rod, moreover, must never be carried back over the 

 shoulder to a distance exceeding an angle of fifteen degrees 

 off the perpendicular, for the backward throw is really ac- 

 complished by the time the rod is in a vertical position, 

 and this might be said, also, to a certain extent, in regard 

 to the forward movement or cast proper ; for by the time 

 the rod is fifteen degrees off the perpendicular in the other 

 direction (in front), tire main part of the cast is made,*ancl 

 the second part of the forward movement is only to follow 

 the flies with the point of the rod, to ease their flight, as 

 before mentioned } this latter part of the forward cast can 

 no more aid or extend the flight of the flies than " push- 

 ing " on the reins can increase the speed of your horse. 



I have now, in the fewest words possible, and in the 

 simplest manner, endeavored to explain the " mystery " of 

 casting the fly, and I trust the beginner will be able to 

 understand it. It is almost impossible to describe the art 

 clearly and satisfactorily by mere words. One hour with 

 a good fly-fisher will teach the novice more than a hun- 

 dred written pages. I have purposely omitted many little 

 details of nicety and precision, which would only tend to 

 magnify the supposed difficulties of casting, and create 

 doubt, confusion, and a lack of confidence, in the mind of 

 the beginner in the noble art of fly-fishing. 



GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS. 



It is useless to cast for Black Bass from high elevations 

 near the water, as a bold bank, a projecting rock, a dam, 



