MAY-FLY FISHING. 365 
that, whatever may be the case with imitations of other Epheme- 
ridze, with the May-fly it is of the greatest advantage to fish dry 
or floating. The only stages at which it is possible for the 
natural May-fly when taken by the fish to be entirely submerged 
is in the nymph state just before changing to the subimago, and 
the spent gnat, which when quite dead may possibly, after 
some lapse of time, become sodden and sink, although on this 
latter point I am inclined to think that it is far more likely to 
shrivel up and become disintegrated on the surface of the 
water. If, however, the angler desires to fish it under water 
or sunk, he must omit that part of the instructions relating to 
drying the fly. 
The first cast to learn is the ordinary overhanded one, in 
which the hand holding the rod is raised so as to carry the rod 
backwards a short distance beyond the perpendicular, feeling 
the line all the time, and, after a decided pause, just as the 
weight of the line commences to bend the rod-top backwards, 
the hand is brought forward and down again with a slightly 
increased velocity. The motion of the hand throughout is 
smooth and without jerk, and should describe a slight curve— 
the object of this curve being to prevent the line when travel- 
ling backwards from coming in contact with the rod, or the 
line itself when coming forward. If the fly is dry the cast on 
the water may be at once completed, but if not, the backward 
and forward motion must be repeated a sufficient number of 
times to thoroughly free the hackles and wings of the fly from 
moisture. At times some difficulty is found in drying a May- 
fly sufficiently. In this case one of two things has probably 
happened : either the fly is thoroughly sodden, when it is as 
well to put up a new one, and leave the other to dry in your 
hat, after coaxing the wings, &c., into position with your fingers ; 
or the wings have got turned down and caught under the bend 
of the hook, when the fly will neither dry rapidly nor float well. 
As the hand comes forward the rod-point must be lowered, and 
the line delivered at a level of about a yard above the water. 
The hand is then slightly checked, and the fly falls lightly and 
