168 THE IDYL OF THE SPLIT-BAMBOO 



firm manipulation between the hands one at either 

 side of the ferrule-joint with thumbs extended 

 will solve the difficulty. 



With due regard to what has been said above, you 

 should try also to have any rod-joint which may show 

 a slight long bend extending throughout its whole 

 length, so placed that the flat side most identified 

 with the convexity shall be the down or guide side 

 when the rod is held in position of use with reel 

 underneath, for the fly-rod. In other words, the 

 guides should line up when the rod-sections are 

 jointed in the best possible position, looking to the 

 truest alignment and best action of the whole rod. 

 It now remains to consider the guides themselves ; 

 what kind shall we use? 



For both bottom- and tip-guides points of great- 

 est friction we should select appropriate agate or 

 phosphor-bronze guides; and some 

 pretty good imitation-agate guides 

 have been marketed, at a material 

 reduction in cost from the price of 

 the genuine. Very satisfactory, and 

 by not a few anglers preferred even 

 to agate, is what is known as the 

 " Perfection" tip-guide; it is made 

 in Denver, by the Perfection Tip 

 of file-proof tungsten steel with German- 

 silver tube. It is light, neat, and practically inde- 

 structible and frictionless. It costs fifty cents. 



Agate angle fly tip 

 guides 



Co., 



