164 AMERICAN GAME FISHES. 



generally a much heavier fish than the Brook Trout, the rod 

 will require a little more "hack-bone" than is usually found 

 in Trout rods. At the same time it must be almost as pliant 

 or flexible, but more resilient, and these conditions are 

 attained by a stiffish back — /. c, the lower third of the rod. 

 And to obtain the necessary spring, snap or resiliency required 

 in a Black Bass fly-rod, much consideration must be given to 

 the material of which it is to be constructed. 



In my opinion there is no material that combines so many 

 good and essential qualities as split bamboo. It is strong, 

 flexible, light, and the most resilient material used in rod 

 making, approaching steel more nearly in this characteristic 

 than any other wood. Ash, lance-wood, greenheart, beth- 

 abara, and some other woods, when carefully selected, make 

 excellent rods, if properly constructed, but the best are infe- 

 rior to a good split bamboo rod. I will add, however, that 

 most of the cheap split bamboo rods now in the market are 

 inferior in every way to a good wooden rod, and they cost 

 much less to manufacture. 



Reels. — The best reel is, of course, the narrow, single- 

 action click reel, made expressly and only for fly-fishing. Most 

 of the fine multiplying reels, however, are now made with 

 an adjustable click, to permit of their being used for both bait 

 and fly-fishing; and while they are heavier, and the spool 

 wider (requiring care in reeling the line evenly), they answer 

 very well iov fly-fishing where the angler owns but one reel. 

 My advice is, nevertheless, to use the click reel for fly-fish- 

 ing, as the cost of a good one is inconsiderable. 



Lines. — The best line, by all odds, is the enameled, braid- 

 ed silk fly-line, tapered or not, the former being better 

 adapted for long casting. Some are metal-centered — that 

 is, having a very fine wire running through the center, and 

 while they may be as good, I do not sec that they are any 

 better than the well-known enameled line; they are slightly 

 heavier, which is some advantage in windy weather. The 



