Fly-Fishing. 363 



ElGGlNG THE CaST. 



By a reference to the chapters devoted to the imple- 

 ments of angling, the reader will obtain a full description 

 of those used in fly-fishing, which are the fly-rod, the click 

 reel, the tapered fiy-line, the leader, the fly, the fly-book, 

 the creel, the landing-net, and the useful adjuncts for 

 stream- fishing, of wading-pants or stockings; and, by re- 

 ferring to the pages on knots, the following directions for 

 rigging the cast will be rendered more intelligible : 



A few snelled Sproat or O'Shaughnessy hooks should be 

 carried in the fly-book, to use with such natural baits as 

 grasshoppers, beetles or dragon-flies, in case the artificial 

 fly does not prove successful. They are to be used in the 

 same manner as artificial flies. 



The beginner being now provided with all the tools, it 

 is in order to put his rod together, attach reel, reel-line, 

 and cast of flies, and proceed to business. In rigging the 

 cast, if the leader is provided with loops at each end, and 

 also loops for drop-flies, proceed as follows : To the small 

 end of the leader attach the stretcher or tail-fly by passing 

 the loop of the leader through the loop of the snell and 

 over the fly, then draw together. Three feet from the tail- 

 fly attach the dropper, or bob-fly, in the same manner; 

 that is, put the loop of the snell over the loop of the leader, 

 and push the fly through the latter loop and draw tight ; or, 

 if the leader is not furnished with loops for this purpose, 

 slip a knot of the leader (about three feet from the tail- 

 fly) apart, and, after making a round knot in the end of 

 the snell of the fly, put it through the opened knot of the 

 leader and draw together; this will hold firm, and the 

 dropper-fly will stand at right angles from the leader. 



If, however, the gut-lengths of the leader are tied by 

 hard, close knots, instead of the slip-knot or double water- 



