HOW AND WHERE TO SPIN. 119 



With regard to the direction in which to cast the spinning- 

 bait ' doctors disagree,' although, so far as stagnant waters are 

 concerned, little difficulty can be felt, as the obvious rule is to 

 cast over the place in which the fish are judged most likely to 

 be. With rivers, however, the case is different, and the cast 

 straight across stream and the cast straight down stream have 

 both had their advocates. If the late lamented Mr. W. C. 

 Stewart had been a pike fisher, no doubt he would have recom- 

 mended the cast straight up stream. ... As in other matters, 

 1 believe that the truth here lies midway between the two 

 extremes advocated — between, that is, the straight across 

 stream and the straight down stream theories. And putting 

 aside exceptional circumstances, which, of course, make their 

 own rules, the best direction in which to cast with the spinning 

 bait over running water is diagonally, or in a direction rather 

 slanting down and across stream. 



This conclusion would seem to be unavoidable if we con- 

 sider what are the objects to be attained. They may be stated 

 thus : — 



To cover the greatest extent of water within a given time ; 

 to present the bait in the position most attractive to the fish ; 

 and to make sure of hooking him when he takes it. 



, Now, to begin with the first of these desiderata. It is clear 

 that by drawing the bait from one side of the stream to the 

 other the greatest area of water will be fished, and for this 

 reason — that in order to give the proper intervals between the 

 casts when throwing straight down stream, it would be neces- 

 sary to move the boat across the current a yard or two at a 

 cast until it reached the other side, and then drop down stream 

 twenty or thirty yards before a fresh series of casts could be 

 commenced, whereas when thrown diagonally or across, it is 

 only necessary to let the boat drop down on one side of the 

 river without delay or hindrance. Moreover, supposing the 

 spinner to be without a boat, he would, if he confined himself 

 to casting down stream, never be able to fish more than one 

 side of the water, and that elose to the banL 



