FLY-FISHINa. 249 



can the fly be propelled to a proper distance. The 

 force must be transmitted to the tip end of the 

 leader, and the angler must feel in casting that his 

 rod is up to its share of the work. It must neither 

 drag, for in that case the line follows the impulse 

 feebly ; nor be too stiff, for then no life can be im- 

 parted to the line. If the rod is weak, it cannot 

 cast with power ; if it is harsh, it cannot cast at all. 

 It must bend, but must leap back to its place, driving 

 the fly far ahead of it by the strong and steady 

 impulse. 



A deficiency in vigor is felt at once by the angler, 

 as a want of proper resistance to his exertion, and 

 will be particularly noticeable of a bad day, or in 

 an unfavorable locality, when the rod will seem to 

 double back and fail utterly in a weak disgusting 

 way ; while too great stifi*ness will go to convince 

 the angler that he is using a bean-pole. 



The single-handed trout-rod is a very different 

 affair, much more difficult both to make and handle ; 

 coarser tools and tackle will answer for the coarser 

 fish, but nothing less than the best material and 

 workmanship will enable the trout-fisher to perform 

 creditably and successfully. It must be light for fine 

 fishing, not over ten ounces in weight ; it must be 

 the perfection of elasticity ; it must have a certain 

 strength ; it must balance perfectly in the hand ; in 

 other words, it must be perfection, to attain which, 

 requires the utmost care and the greatest skill. It 

 is a strange fact that decidedly better fly-rods, and 

 perhaps better salmon-rods, can be obtained in Ame- 

 11* 



