The author of the work referred to, although doubtless a hearty participant in the angler’s pleasures, and fond of the free life in the wild woods by the side of the secluded stream, shows, by his preference for common flies and coarse tackle, that he does not appreciate the higher development of his art in its purity; content rather to fill his basket with a stout hackle from the well-stocked brook of the rarely visited forest, than to tempt the dainty trout with finer imitations from the well-fished pond of the cultivated country. Not only are large flies, especially at the stretcher, difficult to cast, but the hackles which he especially recommends are, from the resistance to the air offered by their numerous bristles, by far the most difficult. It is almost impossible with a light rod to cast a large hackle delicately to a distance; and when three are used, it is entirely so. In clear pools such an apparition would frighten the trout from their “feed” for a week. But in a boisterous, roaring, foaming mountain cataract, where the fish cannot see the fisherman at all, and find difficulty in seeing their prey, hackles and palmers are perfection.
The foregoing match was governed by the following rules, which have been permanently adopted by the New York Sportsmen’s Club, but the allowance of tune is not sufficient where delicacy and distance both are to be determined; and the better plan would be to allow each contestant first to extend his line as far as he can, and then to restrict him to five minutes as to the other matters at issue.
Rules of the New York Sportsmen’s Club, for Contests in Fly-Casting.
No Rod shall be allowed over twelve feet six inches in length, nor more than one pound in weight, and it shall be used with a single hand.
A practicable Line and Click-Reel shall be attached to the rod.
One Stretcher Fly must be used, and a Casting-Line or Leader, of single gut, of not less than six feet in length.
Additional Flies may be added in the discretion of the contestants.
No attached weight of any kind on the line or fly shall be permitted.
Allowance of distance shall be made according to the length and weight of each rod of five feet for every foot of length and two feet for every ounce of weight, and at that rate for a part of a foot or ounce, deducting for a hollow butt or the omission of the customary mountings.
Each contestant shall be allowed five minutes for casting, and in case of accident, such as the parting of the fly, or entangling of the line, the referee may once allow additional time, in his discretion.