FOREST, LAKE, AND RIVER 



steel-centred rod and line he uses the finest drawn 

 gut or gossamer leaders and infinitesimal flies for 

 trout and grayling. As a chain is only as strong 

 as its weakest link, this inconsistency looks absurd 

 to the American angler. But our unfortunate 

 brother of the tight little isle cannot help him- 

 self, and suffers in silence. 



To propel so light an object as 



FLT-RODS a cast °f mes one hundred feet 



or more requires an instrument 



of propulsion as perfect as a rod can be made. 

 Hence a fly-rod must have stability and power, or 

 backbone, in the lower third of the rod, with 

 sufficient pliancy and flexibility in the upper two- 

 thirds to respond to and augment the initial pro- 

 jective force applied by the arm of the angler. 

 All fly-rods should be made in accordance with 

 this principle ; and it is only a question of propor- 

 tion as between the heaviest salmon rod and the 

 lightest trout rod. It is somewhat on the prin- 

 ciple of a long coach whip with a stiffish butt and 

 flexible top, which enables the driver to flick a fly 

 from the flank of a leader in a four-in-hand with 

 ease and precision. 



A characteristically American feature in rod 

 making is the flush joint with short, cylindrical 

 ferrule, without dowel, — a great improvement on 

 300 



