CASTING 63 



is barely possible, and at times, too, the force of the 

 wind is so great that even with the downward finish 

 and a cast of only 2^ yards in length it is almost 

 impossible to' place the fly accurately into the teeth 

 of the gale. 



Then it is permissible to fish downstream or partly 



across and partly down even 



Drifting. with the floating fly. The 



former direction, called drift- 

 ing, requires that the angler should let out a length of 

 line far greater than that required to cover the fish 

 rising below him. As the line is descending at the 

 forward position of the cast it is checked not only by 

 tightening the grip, but also by bringing the rod-hand 

 back towards the body. The result of this is that the 

 fly is landed on the water above the rising fish with 

 a quantity of slack line above it, and as the fly floats 

 down the fisherman's hand is lowered and the fly 

 allowed to proceed some distance below the feeding 

 trout. It is recovered slowly either by drawing in 

 line gradually with the left hand or by returning the 

 fly laterally over the bank below the fish. In either 

 case it is a manoeuvre of desperation, and one can 

 seldom get the chance of presenting a second fly to 

 the same fish without setting it down. 



Fishing partly across and partly downstream is 

 called the half drift, and is 

 Half drift. achieved by dropping the rod- 



hand as the fly lands on the 

 water and letting it float down, or even crawling or 



