ii6 THE DRY-FLY MAN'S HANDBOOK 



looker, is a fatal mistake when applied to the cast of 

 the dry-fly man. The slacker the line is within 

 ordinary limits the better the cast and the longer the 

 fly will float without drag. 



A fly seldom drags owing to its travelling more 

 slowly than the pace of the natural insect. Drag will 

 occur when a fish is rising in such a position that 

 to make the cast the lower part of the reel-line 

 must be laid on a strong eddy. Here again a very 

 slack line may retard the drag for a few seconds, but a 

 place like this is one where none but the expert can 

 hope to succeed, and such positions should be avoided 

 by the beginner. 



When casting a dry-fly downstream the pace of the 



fly will gradually slow down 



Drag when casting as the line begins to tighten, 



downstream. and when the line is straight 



the fly will stop altogether. If 

 the direction of the cast is in any degree across the 

 current it will also drag by being pulled towards the 

 angler's bank, and thus travel across the natural 

 course of the stream. A considerably greater length 

 of line than that required to cover the fish must 

 therefore be let out when fishing a drift or half 

 drift, and the action of the rod must be perceptibly 

 checked at the forward position of the cast, so as to land 

 the fly on the water above the fish with sufficient slack 

 line to allow it to float down well below the fish 

 without any drag. As before pointed out, the drift 

 or half drift is not usually a successful cast, and 



