CASTING 51 



grip gave him a greater power of directing the line 

 and fly with extreme accuracy. It is comparatively 

 unimportant which grip is adopted by the tyro, but 

 it is all-important that he should from the first learn to 

 hold the rod as tightly as possible if he wishes to be a 

 good hand at casting. 



The first point to be impressed upon the student is 

 that, if he will study and assimilate the hints given 

 here, the direction of the wind, unless it is very strong 

 indeed, is a matter of comparative indifference to him. 

 There is no more difficulty in casting against a light 

 wind than there is in casting with it. If the teacher 

 can once persuade his pupil to look at the subject 

 from this point of view, the progress of the study will 

 be most rapid. I should like to see the experiment 

 thoroughly tried of making the angler from his 

 earliest efforts cast indiscriminately against or with 

 the wind. 



The most usual, the ordinary or overhanded, cast 



is effected by raising the hand 



The ordinary over- holding the rod and carrying it 



handed cast. slightly backwards with wrist 



action, until the position of the 

 rod is nearly but not quite vertical. This action 

 returns the line from the water, and is done without 

 any great effort and at a slow pace. When the rod 

 has arrived at the point where the backward action 

 should cease, the fisherman makes an appreciable 

 pause, and Plate 1 1 shows the position of the rod and 

 line then. The casting-plates in this chapter are 



