134 The American Salmon-fisherman. 



case the fly is so far ahead of the line at the beginning of 

 its career, that it cannot be overtaken and passed by the 

 line. 



Having completed one fruitless cast, the angler throws 

 his fly behind him, and while it is on its backward flight 

 he takes a step or two forward, and then repeats the 

 effort. It is important that the advance be made either 

 at the time indicated or before the fly is taken from the 

 water, rather than after the cast is delivered. In the 

 first case, his advance aids in straightening out the line 

 well behind; in the second, he but loses a little time in 

 waiting for the current to take up the slack line before 

 he begins his back-cast, and this in barren water; but in 

 the third case, his fly will lie impotent and useless, per- 

 haps right in the best of the water, until the current has 

 straightened the line and command over the fly is re- 

 gained. 



After a fish is fastened two methods are open to the 

 angler. In one, fish is the main object; in the other, fun. 

 Personally I prefer the latter method at all events after 

 having taken the first edge off my appetite by a day or 

 two of success. 



In the first case the angler, though always, except in 

 an actual crisis, handling the fish as if lightly hooked, 

 keeps just as close to it as he can, and gives it no inch of 

 line that a vigorous use of his legs will enable him to re- 

 tain. He also endeavors to keep below it, for a salmon is 

 like a hog pull it in one direction and it usually tries 

 to go in the other, and up stream for a fish is like up hill 

 for a horse. 



In the other case, the angler lets the fish run as it sees 

 fit, and the farther it goes within the scope of his line, 



