FERRULES AND THEIR FITTING 135 



rules may be purchased separately. This is a con- 

 venience, especially in the case of male ferrules, be- 

 cause of the customary duplication of the top-joints 

 of rods, for the purpose of having one in reserve 

 against a smash-up. The male ferrule is attached 

 to the butt or larger end of a rod-joint. 



As ferrules constitute rigid portions of the rod, 

 which otherwise is uniformly flexible from butt to 

 tip, it is evident that it is a mistake to have them any 

 longer than is necessary for efficient service. For 

 rods eight to ten feet in length, a union of one and 

 one-eighth to one and one-quarter inches depth 

 of penetration of male ferrule is sufficient at the 

 joint between the butt- and middle-sections of the 

 rod, and of three-quarters to an inch between the 

 middle-joint and top. This will give a desirable 

 over-all length of at least about two and one-half 

 inches for the larger female ferrule of a ten-foot 

 rod. 



Waterproof ferrules are supplied at an extra cost; 

 they are made by soldering a disk of metal within 

 the female ferrule at the point where it is intended 

 that this partition shall come down against the end 

 of the rod-joint, in order to prevent access of water 

 to the otherwise unprotected wood here; and wood 

 absorbs moisture more rapidly from the ends than 

 from the sides, and especially at these bamboo-ends 

 unprotected by enamel. However, neither does the 

 author consider these are a necessity, as he is willing 



