56 
WILD NORWAY. 
The cast being made down stream at an angle to 
the current of 45° and the fly placed a yard or two 
beyond the furthest presumed lie of the fish, it should 
(if a straight line has been thrown) already be “ fishing ” 
before it comes within the salmon’s ken. 
The “ working ” of the fly is accomplished by verti¬ 
cally raising and dropping the rod-point—more or less 
according to the strength of stream. In strong currents 
a few inches of play is sufficient; in “ log ” or slack 
water, the absence of current may be counteracted by 
giving a foot or two of “play” to the rod. But in 
either case, it is essential that the rod, while “ fishing ” 
the cast, be held straight across at right angles to the 
stream and, as a rule, low on the water. Trout-fishers 
(and most novices with salmon have already served an 
apprenticeship to trout) are apt to forget this and to 
work the rod round with the fly. This is a fatal error, 
for it at once deprives the fly of that active, lifelike 
character—opening and closing its wings alternately— 
that I have striven to show is of such vital importance 
in salmon-fishing. 
It will thus be seen that the trout-fisher has some¬ 
thing to unlearn in acquiring the new art. 
The several mechanical movements thus enumerated : 
(1) recovering the line, (2) the back-cast, (3) pause, 
(4) forward cast, and (5) “working” the fly, become 
with practice almost automatic; but it may be useful 
to remind the beginner (and thus save flurry), that at 
the completion of No. 5 the cast is finished, nor is 
there any need for haste in commencing a new one. 
The fly is then hanging straight down stream, doing 
neither good nor harm, and the angler has time to 
