FLT'FISMINQ TACKLE. 31 



Splicing up a rod is certainly not the most pleasant 

 of operations in a cutting east wind, but still it does 

 not take long, and it is not always necessary to take 

 down more than the top joint. 



Should a breakage occur in the middle of a joint 

 away from the ferrule or splice, it is of course as easy 

 to repair one pattern of rod as the other ; but should 

 the splice-jointed rod go at or close to the splice, it is 

 much more easily repaired than the same catastrophe 

 with a ferrule-jointed rod, and with the former it will 

 be generally admitted the casualties are few as com- 

 pared with those of the latter. 



In casting with either pattern of rod any one who 

 is worthy to be called an angler should be able to 

 obtain all that is necessary, giving of course a few 

 hours' practice to get into the use of a new rod ; but 

 it is only fair to the ferrule rod to say that perhaps a 

 lighter line can be cast with it than with the splice 

 rod, yet against that the latter is far preferable for 

 switching, or the Spey cast. 



As regards length of line to be thrown, there is not 

 much difference, but in the teeth of a wind we much 

 prefer the splice rod. 



Built or spliced-cane trout-rods are very good to 

 cast with, but a breakage is too horrible to contem- 

 plate — the splinters they fly into defy repair at the 

 waterside; so unless the angler is close to his own 

 door, he had better take a second rod out with him. 

 The cost of the rods also puts them beyond many 



