364 Book of the Black Bass. 



knot, then the sncll of the dropper must be attached close 

 to and above a knot of the leader, hy a single knot or half- 

 hitch, a round knot having previously been made in the 

 end of the snelL to jDrevent the half-hitch from working 

 loose; this is probably as good and c-afe a way as any. 



The cast is now ready, for I do not advise the use of 

 more than two flies. If, however, the angler wishes to 

 employ three, the third fly, or second dropper, must be 

 attached three feet above the first dropper, and, in this 

 case, the leader should be nine feet long. But the begin- 

 ner will have all he can attend to with a six-feet leader 

 and two flies. The leader having been previously straight- 

 ened by soaking in water, or rubbing with India-rubber 

 (the former method is to be preferred), and attached to the 

 reel-hue, the angler is now armed and equipped as the law 

 directs, and ready for 



Castixg the Fly. 



Casting the artificial fly is performed by two principal 

 motions, a backward and a forward one. The former is 

 to throw the flies behind the angler, and t;ie latter is to 

 project them forward and beyond. That is all there is 

 in it. These are the main principles involved, and the 

 first or backward motion is merely preparatory to the 

 second or forward one, the latter being the most important. 



But the style and manner of making these two motions 

 are all-important; for upon the correct, skillful, and, I 

 might say, scientific performance of them, depends the 

 success of the angler. The main objects of the two mo- 

 tions are, first, to get the line and cast behind the angler 

 in a straight line, without lapping or kinking; and, sec- 

 ond, to project the line forward without snapping oflE the 

 tail-fly, casting it perfectly straight, without confusion, and 



