FISH AND FISHING. 



207 



stand hard service several years. One not 

 acquainted with such a rod will be sur- 

 prised at its lightness, strength, and perfect 

 action. The reel and line, leaders and flies, 

 will be such as the expert fly angler usually 

 chooses. The reel may be any good 60 yard 

 multiplying reel, the liner makes giving the 

 greater satisfaction. In lines, nothing but 

 the best quality of enameled braided silk 

 should be used, of the smallest size at all 

 suitable for bass fishing. Expert fly fishing 

 is impossible with cheap, or large, heavy 

 lines. 



When the reel is fastened securely to the 

 seat, pass the line directly through the first 

 guide above and then once around the rod 

 before passing through each successive 

 guide and the metal tip. This manner of 

 mounting the line strengthens the rod when 

 handling a fish, and in no way interferes 

 with the free running of the line in or out. 



A 6-foot leader, of the best quality, with 

 one or 2 flies attached, completes the outfit. 

 No gafT nor landing net is to be used in 

 bringing the fish to creel. 



Of course, this style of fishing is from a 

 boat. The angler stands in the stern of the 

 boat, which is pushed, stern foremost, by 

 his guide or oarsman. When approaching 

 the water to be fished, the angler, starting 

 with line about the length of his rod, casts 

 out in front or to one side, strips off 8 or 

 10 feet more of line, draws the flies a few 

 feet along the surface of the water, and 

 with a quick, gliding motion of the upper 

 hand, makes the back cast. Then, almost 

 instinctively knowing when the line is com- 

 pletely straightened behind, he casts for- 

 ward again. This the angler repeats until 

 he has out the length of line that suits his 

 fancy, or nicely reaches the desired spot. 

 He continues to cast with 50, 60, 70 feet of 

 line, dropping his feathered lures with the 

 greatest nicety as to distance and accuracy, 

 and with that gentle, fluttering, hesitating 

 drop, so lifelike, so pleasing to the angler, 

 so enticing to the gamy bass. 



Thirty to 50 feet of line are usually all 

 that are necessary. No line is recovered 

 either by the reel or by stripping until the 

 fish is to be brought to hand, unless the ang- 

 ler wishes to change the length of his cast. 



The forward cast and the back cast differ 

 from that with the one hand rod. The cast 

 is made with the rod at an angle of about 

 45 degrees with the surface of the water 

 and to one side of the angler ordinarily, but 

 may be made from any position from the 

 horizontal to the perpendicular. No whist- 

 ling noise or prolonged whiff is heard when 

 either cast is made. The secret lies in the 

 perfect action of the rod when properly 

 handled. This is true of all good casting. 

 A perfect rod is essential to perfect casting. 

 No one can make a greater mistake than 

 to suppose that this style of casting requires 



little skill, or that any cane pole will do for 

 such fishing. I am not trying to convert 

 anyone, but as a fly caster, fairly expert 

 with either rod, I know that the method 

 here roughly described requires fully as' 

 much skill as with the ordinary fly rod and 

 landing net. 



The angler using the long rod must be 

 able to cast to either side with equal accu- 

 racy; that is, cast with either hand at the 

 butt, so as to meet all conditions as to wind, 

 shore line, and position from which the 

 water must be fished. 



You have learned to cast fairly well with 

 the 2-handed rod and may do the fishing 

 while I handle the boat and act as umpire. 

 Do you see that bed of moss and lilies, 

 bordering on the deep water? I shall push 

 the boat up parallel with the moss and 

 about 30 feet from it. Put out about 40 

 feet of line. Drop the flies gently just at 

 the outer border of the moss and lightly 

 draw a few feet along the edge. I shall go 

 slowly so you may fish every inch of the 

 likely looking water. See that opening in 

 the moss ahead? When you get within 

 reach of that, drop the flies fairly and 

 squarely into it. A rush ! a splash ! He is 

 a good one ! I believe he took that Yellow 

 May before it touched the water! An in- 

 stinctive contraction of the muscles of the 

 arms and he is hooked. Then comes the 

 battle royal. Give him a fair chance to 

 show what he can do. He probably knows 

 a few tricks, but you must out-trick him. 

 Keep your hand off the reel. I shall keep 

 the boat away from him, and you are to 

 conquer him at the end of that 50 feet of 

 line. If he gets any slack for a moment 

 he will bid you an everlasting farewell. He 

 sulks ! He rushes ! He leaps clear of the 

 water! He is making a noble fight, but 

 you still have him. Look out! Don't let 

 him get his head directly away from you 

 or he will show you a trick that will end 

 the debate. Ah ! he begins to show signs 

 of weakening. He is on the surface now 

 with mouth wide open. You may reel in, 

 but be ready for a last fierce effort on his 

 part when he approaches the boat. Watch 

 him, there ! Watch him ! That's it, bring 

 him up again. No, sir, I shall not touch 

 him; no gaff, no landing net. You must 

 land him yourself Careful now ! Grasp 

 the line with your hand holding the rod. 

 Don't try to raise him out of the water with 

 the line. Reach down gently and take him 

 by the under lip with the thumb and finger. 

 That's it! What a beauty! All of 4 

 pounds. See, the hook has dropped from 

 his mouth. Well done ! A single wrong 

 stroke and he would have been off. You 

 could have dragged him in, probably, by 

 main force, or wound him in with quad- 

 ruple multiplying reel, and then I could 

 have scooped him in with a seine called a 



