RODS, LINES 
BY THE LATE 
I wonder if he ever tried the remedy! 
This wonder arises in my mind when- 
ever an angler raises a lament over the 
imperfection of rod ferrules as too tight 
or too loose, and as being liable, some- 
times, to draw apart, and always to ad- 
mit water to the wood or the spongy 
bamboo; the question then looms up 
before me in its largest proportions, 
does he ever use the remedy? 
Does the machinist ever put metal 
where it must work in metal without a 
lubricant ? I trow not. Does the locomo- 
tive engineer throw open his throttle 
valve to give wings to his lightning 
train unless he is confident there is oil 
galore in the journals? I trow not. Is 
it not the law of fitness and permanent 
existence for metal, that it must not be 
made to work in metal without a lubri- 
cant? I trow itis. Therefore, Brother 
Angler, provide things meet for the oc- 
casion; a bit of hard tallow—beef or 
mutton, deer’s tallow is best, as being 
the hardest, and even stearine will 
answer—whittle it to fit in a tin case 
(such as the tackle dealers sell us hold- 
ing split shot), carry it thus in your 
jacket when you go a-fishing, and rub 
the male ferrule lightly with the tal- 
low when jointing up; the whole rod 
will wink a ‘‘thank you” at you, as 

* M. M. Backus, who died nearly ten years ago, was 
an angler sans ¢ache. He wasnot only anaccomplished 
fisherman, but a man of gifts. A college graduate: 
thoroughly read, a fascinating conversationalist, over- 
flowing with good humor and sympathy for his fel- 
lows, he was at his best when in camp or ona stream 
or lake, where his genial spirits and thorough knowl- 
edge of the art of angling made his companionship 
very dear to those who were fortunate to be with him 
on an angling outing. He wrote a good deal for us in 
the old days of THE ANGLER, and this article we find 
in manuscript form among our files and now give it 
to our readers, who will note the thoroughness of his 
practical knowledge of angling gear.—[En. 
AND 
M. 
SPOONS. 
M. BACKUS.* 
you insert one ferrule into its corre- 
sponding sheath, and will remember 
you all day long, suffering no drop of 
water to enter, and when you unjoint 
at night, it will say to you, ‘‘I am 
willing to come apart and out; I will 
not haggle about it nor worry you; you 
remembered the necessary conditions 
of my well-being, and you are my hon- 
est and worthy master.” 
After a while some little tallow will 
collect in the bottom of the sheath fer- 
rule; and when you joint up you will 
find, in well-fitted machinery, that the 
air is driven out and you have the ad- 
ditional grip acquired from atmospheric 
pressure. The joint will not strain 
apart when casting the fly, and it will 
separate at evening with the gentle 
pressure of the thumb and forefinger. 
Try it; for once tried, it will never be 
abandoned. If you wish to be very 
careful of your rod—many an angler 
regards atried and trusted rod as highly 
as he does a tried and trusted friend— 
get duplicate female ferrules for the 
joints, carry them in your pocket, and 
when you unjoint the rod, slip the ex- 
tra sheath ferrule on the male rod fer- 
rule to keep all grit from the tallow; 
and when you joint up, put the plug 
from the sheath rod ferrule into its 
duplicate, and slip both together into 
your pocket. <A piece of tallow that 
will fill a split shot case will suffice all 
summer for a whole armory of rods, 
unless your armory is a branch tackle 
shop. 
This duplicate ferrule I never used 
myself, regarding it as over-nice and 
fussy ; wiping the ferrule when un- 
jointed always insured cleanliness. 
