360 AMERICAN ANGLER'S BOOK 



direct it ; the result is, that the fly swings across the stream 

 towards the side on which the angler stands, describing in its 

 course the segment of a circle, and sweeping along in front 

 of the fish. By increasing the length of the cast directly or 

 obliquely across, as just described, the radius is lengthened, 

 and the segment enlarged and of course extended down stream, 

 as well as across. In this manner, that portion of the pool 

 within reach of the angler is gradually covered ; then, by 

 advancing a step at a time, or by short successive pushes of 

 the canoe, he fishes the whole of it, or as much as can be 

 covered from the side he is on. 



The fibres of the feathers of which the fly is composed, are 

 made to contract and expand as it passes through the water, 

 by the least possible raising and dropping of the point of the 

 rod, in order to show the fly attractively. This, however, 

 cannot be done effectually, if the current is so strong as to 

 press the fibres continually against the body of the fly, not 

 allowing them to open when the top of the rod is lowered. 



The general rule laid down by " Ephemera," in his Book' 

 of the Salmon, for fishing a pool " upwards in the direction 

 of its source," appears to me entirely wrong. It is impracti- 

 cable on many American rivers, from the rapidity of the cur- 

 rent. He ignores his own rule, however, in a remark on a 

 preceding page of his book, when speaking of the motion to 

 be given to the fly in drawing it through the water. He 

 says, "the Salmon-fly is always to be worked or humored 

 against the current, never with it." How the angler is to 

 humor the fly against the current, when drawing it with the 

 current, I leave him to find out. As to fishing up stream, it 

 may do where the current is slight, but in swift water it 

 should only be when there is no cast but from the lower end 

 of the pool. 



