CHAPTER V 



ROD-MAKING: ROD TAPERS AND ROD 

 PLOTTING 



The novice is now much better prepared than he 

 was at the beginning of this discussion of rod-making, 

 to digest profitably the somewhat more technical data 

 regarding rod tapers, and for suggestions how to 

 plan a rod; hence the postponement of this chapter 

 until the present time. 



A general principle that we regard as fundamental 

 is that the butt-joint should be enough heavier than 

 the middle-joint, and this second-joint enough heav- 

 ier than the top-joint, so that the hand wielding the 

 rod senses that it has perfect control of the rod-tip 

 from its hold upon the handgrasp. In other words, 

 the rod should not have the topheavy feeling im- 

 parted by a jerky top. Some foreign rods, prin- 

 cipally of the extra long, two-handed variety for 

 salmon fishing, are purposely thus made to give a 

 kind of kick in throwing out the line such as the 

 Irish, Castleconnell rods but personally we very 

 much dislike this peculiarity of action. 



Two split-cane rods of identical caliber and weight 

 will rarely have exactly the same action, because the 

 qualities of the bamboo will differ, and however lit- 



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