NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLY-FISHING. 451 
it is well behind and above him. It is at this point that 
the first mistake is likely to occur, as here the awkward 
hand generally jerks his fly, which is sometimes even 
whipped off with a snap, and after this jerk he can never 
regain that even and smooth flow which would otherwise 
follow its operation from the backward to the forward 
direction. When this movement is elegantly and effect- 
ively carried out, the line, without any abrupt change, is 
brought round the head from the backward to the forward 
movement without passing directly overhead, but in a line 
considerably above the level of the head of the angler; 
when it has passed before the body, it is thrown forwards 
at the full length of the arm, and, without the slightest 
hurry, to the point which it is intended the fly shall alight 
upon. If this is badly executed, and with any jerk, the 
line is doubled upon itself, and the loop thus made touches 
the water whilst the fly is two or three feet from its des- 
tination, and finally descends with a whole series of con- 
volutions of gut or hair, enough to alarm all fish within 
sight. This is called throwing from the left shoulder, from 
which mode throwing from the right shoulder, or back- 
casting, differs in bringing the rod and arm, after they have 
achieved the backward movement, forward again by the 
side of the head, delivering the fly over the right shoulder, 
without making the complete circular sweep behind the 
body. Sometimes, when it is desirable to throw the fly 
with great delicacy, it is tried by waving the line from 
right to left over the head, in the form of a figure 8; 
but this can only be effectively done with a single fly, as 
the droppers interfere with the manoeuvre too much to 
