NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLY-FISHING. 451 



it is well behind and above him. It is at this point that 

 the first mistake is likely to occur, as here the awkward 

 hand generally jerks his fly, which is sometimes even 

 whipped off with a snap, and after this jerk he can never 

 regain that even and smooth flow which would otherwise 

 follow its operation from the backward to the forward 

 direction. When this movement is elegantly and effect- 

 ively carried out, the line, without any abrupt change, is 

 brought round the head from the backward to the forward 

 movement without passing directly overhead, but in a line 

 considerably above the level of the head of the angler; 

 when it has passed before the body, it is thrown forwards 

 at the full length of the arm, and, without the slightest 

 hurry, to the point which it is intended the fly shall alight 

 upon. If this is badly executed, and with any jerk, the 

 line is doubled upon itself, and the loop thus made touches 

 the water whilst the fly is two or three feet from its des- 

 tination, and finally descends with a whole series of con- 

 volutions of gut or hair, enough to alarm all fish within 

 sight. This is called throwing from the left shoulder, from 

 which mode throwing from the right shoulder, or back- 

 casting, differs in bringing the rod and arm, after they have 

 achieved the backward movement, forward again by the 

 side of the head, delivering the fly over the right shoulder, 

 without making the complete circular sweep behind the 

 body. Sometimes, when it is desirable to throw the fly 

 with great delicacy, it is tried by waving the line from 

 right to left over the head, in the form of a figure 8; 

 but this can only be effectively done with a single fly, as 

 the droppers interfere with the manoeuvre too much to 



