CASTING AND STRIKING.
We shall treat this subject under two aspects: first, if you have the
whole boat to yourself; and second, if it is being shared by some one
else.
If you have a boat to yourself, stand as near the centre of it as you
possibly can without interfering with the boatman in rowing, and cover
every inch of the water in front of you and as far to the sides as the
wind will permit. Always be careful how you cast--that is, every time
you throw your flies see that they land lightly on the water, as no one
can expect to raise fish if any splash is made by either line or flies.
Fine casting is not quite so essential, of course, when a fair breeze is
blowing; but if the wind be light, then the difference between a
well-thrown fly and the reverse is very apparent. After you have made a
satisfactory cast, draw the line slowly to you by raising the point of
the rod, taking care to keep the line as taut as possible. Also see that
your bob-fly is tripping on the surface, as we consider that a
well-managed "bob" is the most life-like of the whole lot. Do not fish
with too long a line, unless, indeed, on an exceptional occasion, when
you wish to reach the lie of a feeding fish. It is difficult to define a
long line, but a good general rule is that it should never be longer
than when you have the consciousness that, if a fish should rise, you
have him at a fair and instantaneous striking distance. Remember that
the time the flies first touch the water after each cast is the most
deadly; therefore, cast often.
If you have only the share of a boat, the rule is that one man takes the
stern up till lunch, and the other after it. For ourselves, we have a
preference for the bow, and we generally find that most anglers prefer
the luxury of the stern; so when both parties are pleased, there is no
occasion for changing at all. The most important thing to bear in mind
when you have a companion is, as we said in last chapter, to confine
yourself to your own water. If the left-hand cast is the one proper to
your end of the boat, cast as much to your right hand as you can without
infringing on your neighbour's share of the water: all the water to your
left hand is of course yours. The same remarks apply _vice versa_.
_Never stop casting_ so long as you are on fishable ground, for you know
not the moment a good fish may rise. Certain it is that unless you keep
your flies constantly going, you cannot expect to have the same basket
as the angler who does. Keep your eyes on your flies in a general way,
and do not let your attention be distracted so long as they are in the
water. Every angler has experienced the annoyance of missing fish when
looking elsewhere for a single moment--either at another boat, or at a
fish "rising to itself," or at the sky, or at something else. When the
eyes were turned to the point from which they should not have been
diverted, they were just in time to see the water swirl, and the hand
gave a futile strike at what had disappeared a second before. Perhaps we
should have said at the beginning of this chapter to place implicit
faith in the flies with which you are fishing. Nothing is more
ridiculous than whipping the water with a cast, of the suitableness of
which you have any doubt; and to guard against any such chance, study
carefully the state of the weather and the wind. If very clear, use
sombre flies; but if a dark day, use brighter flies. You will of course
regulate the size according to the breeze, but as a rule, err on the
side of small flies. When you raise a fish, _strike at once_. It is
quite possible that by this method you may once in a while strike the
least bit too soon, but it is a safe plan to go by. There is always a
particle of a moment spent in the tightening of the line; and by the
time the angler sees a fish at his flies, he may safely conclude that it
has already seized or missed them, and the sooner he ascertains the true
state of matters by striking instantaneously, the better. If the fish
has not been touched by line or hook, cast gently over him again: the
chances are that there will be another rise, and, if the fish has been
feeding, every likelihood that the second or even a third time may be
lucky. In striking small fish, the least tightening of the line is
sufficient; but with large fish, when your tackle and hooks are strong,
strike _firmly home_ to send the steel well in, right over the barb.
Tackle that will not stand this had better be given away or
destroyed,--the latter for choice.