58 THE DRY-FLY MAN'S HANDBOOK 



Undoubtedly the horizontal cast is the most impor- 

 tant of all for the dry-fly man, and it is especially 

 useful when it is desired to deliver the fly in a direction 

 across a moderate or even strong wind. One of the 

 manifest advantages of this cast is, that the rod's 

 position being horizontal throughout, its shadow is not 

 projected over the water. The shadow of a moving 

 object is specially likely to scare a shy fish 

 when it is rising, and consequently close to the 

 surface. 



The beginner will find that there is a tendency on 



his part when learning this cast 

 Returning over and cast- j^ ^^^^^^ ^-^ y^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^ 

 ing under rod with hori- , , t r 



zontal cast. ^^'^ '^ ^^^'^ ^^^ '°^- ^" ^^^^' 



this would appear to be the 



natural method. I would strongly urge him from the 

 very first to reverse this and return over and cast 

 under his rod. He will find that his fly by this 

 method will land more lightly, and that in the case of 

 a fish rising under a bridge or plank not raised much 

 above the surface he will be able to place his fly above 

 the fish, whereas with the reverse action it would 

 almost invariably strike the bridge and never cover 

 the fish. Very little practice will enable the angler to 

 acquire this particular mode in fishing the horizontal 

 cast. 



It is not quite easy at first to place a fly accurately 

 with the horizontal cast, because the rod, and conse- 

 quently the line with the fly on the end of it, move in 

 a circle or parabolic curve, and not in a straight line 



