LONG CASTING NOT RECOMMENDED 113 



these directions properly, his line will fall neatly and well in 

 the water. He should let it rest a second or so, then commence 

 raising the point of his rod gradually until it almost reaches 

 the position he started from, when he must, with a swift drag, 

 raise the line sharply and neatly from the water, fetching 

 the line back over his shoulder, and repeat his cast as already 

 shown. 



When by practice he can manage this throw neatly and 

 well, he may let out a little more line, and so go on increasing 

 the length of his throws, until he gets about twice the length 

 of his rod out. For a first lesson he will find this sufficient ; 

 with this he had better practise until he can throw lightly and 

 well towards his mark. Subsequent practice will no doubt 

 enable him to cast three times the length of the rod, and 

 every yard which he becomes able to cast over that is good 

 work, but he should remember that long casting is one thing, 

 but to fish a long cast properly is quite another. Many anglers 

 may throw sixteen or seventeen or even more yards of line 

 who cannot fish it. It is only the thoroughly experienced 

 fly-fisher who can fish these long casts properly. A green 

 hand may by dint of raising his hand to the level of the crown 

 of his hat and slashing away at the imminent risk of tackle 

 and everything else, be able to get it out somehow. But what 

 a spectacle he becomes when, failing to get such a length of 

 line off the water properly, he finds one of the flies in his 

 whiskers and the other perhaps fast in his creel or an adjacent 

 bush. Let the young angler be content with doing what he does 

 do well ; increasing his range of practice by little and slow 

 degrees, and making sure fishing of every extra foot he gains. 

 I consider from eighteen to twenty yards a very long throw 

 with a single-handed rod, and there is not an angler in a 

 thousand that can throw it ; while, of those who can throw 

 it (properly), not one in a hundred can fish it. I may add 

 that I measure length of a cast from the reel. In long throws, 

 the difficulty lies in getting the line quickly and neatly off 

 the water, and for this purpose, of course, the draw should 

 be made much sooner than in short throws. All casts with 

 the single-handed rod should be made with the forearm. 

 The upper arm should never come into play ; the elbow 

 should be kept not quite close to the side, but near it, and 

 always down ; and, in casting, the top joint should be allowed 

 to do its full work. If this be judiciously attended to, the 

 angler will find that even for long throws very little more 





