Suggestions in Fly Casting
Excerpt from The Complete Sportsman's Encyclopedia, 1913
Reprinted by the Lyons Press.
Aim to let your flies touch the water lightly, just as a natural fly would alight.
Try to keep them there for an instant or two, give them a trifle of movement,
as though it were struggling on the water.
Keep a fairly taut line so as the fish can hook himself, or so as to be ready
when needed.
Don't strike too quick, often fish rise, and to not take the fly; give him another
chance, but still keep your fly moving just a little.
When you strike don't jerk his head off, a simple turn of the wrist will suffice to
send the hook home (if it's a good one.)
Play your fish well, letting the rod do most of the work, let the fish get
excited but keep cool yourself.
Don't be discouraged by repeated failures (we all experience them,) fish often rise
but refuse to bite; cast repeatedly in most likely spots, not omitting what you
think are unlikely ones; change your flies often if needs be; think of conditions.
Don't be impatient, you might angle for hours and all at once strike the right
fly or place and fill your creel.
Again, if you fish for sport alone and have caught a worthy but small antagonist,
and need not his flesh for your table or food, consign him back to his haunts again,
for if the hook has not penetrated his gills or throat you have neither hurt or
pained him seriously.
Only by such sportsmanlike methods as these that can solve the question of
leaving well stocked rivers, streams and lakes full of fish, instead of fishing them
out of all life therein, and wasting one-half a catch. Millions of fish are caught
only to be thrown back later into the waters (or on the shores) dead and
useless, when by the exercise of a little judgement and true sportsmanship
they could have been turned free again, to live on, grow or propagate their
species time and time again. ~ Francis H. Buzzacott (1913)
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