Fly-Fishing. 373 



nipulating the flies, the line must be ever taut; for often 

 a bass will thus hook himself, which he never does with a 

 slack line. 



Striking and Plating. 



The angler should strike by sight, or by touch; that is, 

 he should strike the moment he sees the rise ; for the bass 

 has either got the fly in his mouth, has missed it, or has al- 

 ready ejected it, when the rise is seen; it very seldom 

 happens that the rise is seen before the fly is reached by the 

 fish. The angler must also strike at the moment he feels 

 the slightest touch or tug from the fish, for often the bass 

 takes the fly without any break at the surface, especially 

 if the flies are beneath it. 



Striking is simply a twist of the wrist, or half -turn of 

 the rod, either upward or downward (upward with stiSish 

 rods, and downward with very willowy ones), which is suf- 

 ficient to set the hook if the rod and line maintain a proper 

 state of tension; but when the careless angler has a slack 

 line, and, consequently, a lifeless rod, he must necessarily 

 strike by a long upward or side sweep of the rod, called 

 " yanking," and should he succeed in hooking the fish, 

 the chances are that it will shake the hook out again before 

 the slack can be reeled up. 



The tip of the rod must always be held upward, so that 

 the rod constantly maintains a curve with the line; and' 

 never, under any circumstances, must the rod point in the 

 direction of the flies after they reach the water, for this 

 allows the direct strain of the fish to come upon the line 

 or leader. When a bass is hooked, he must be killed on 

 the rod; the rod must stand the brunt of the contest; the 

 more pliable and springy the rod, the less likelihood of its 

 breaking, for a stifE rod is more easily fractured than a 



