MAINLY TACTICAL 91 



his line coming back smoothly and at the pace of 

 the stream over the tussock, and finally the fly 

 shall be lifted off the surface with no disturbance, 

 and be drawn by the current softly over the 

 tussock, and drop on the surface on his own side, 

 free for the next attempt. 



Obviously, this latter cast is not well suited to 

 the left bank unless the angler be left-handed, and, 

 then, it is not suited to the right bank, unless he 

 be ambidextrous. Ergo, the rod which casts a 

 short Hne with delicacy and accuracy is a desider- 

 atum for this business, as for many others. A 

 heavy rod will seldom be found to do it. When 

 you have hooked your fish, he may be depended 

 on to carry your line at once free of the tussock. 

 I have never had an instance to the contrary, and 

 I have rather an affection for the tussock cast. 



OF THE ALLEGED MARCH BROWN. 



Everyone who reads much angling literature 

 must have come across ingenuous arguments on 

 the wonderful usefulness of the March Brown 

 even on waters, such as the chalk streams, where 

 the natural is not found. It is so. I have found 

 it so myself. One 6th of April some years back I 

 reached the Wey, to find that the Grannom was 

 well on a good week in advance of time, and that 

 I had one imitation, and one only, in my box. 

 To improve upon the humour of the situation, I 

 allowed — nay, I forced — the first trout to whom 



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