238 Bod and Tackle. i'n u>t. xviii. 



matter of choice whether you prefer his 14 feet or my 16 feet 

 pliable fly rod for Mahseer : — 



" You will easily understand that advice as to kit, etc., must vary, 

 " uot only to suit means, but for many other reasons. 



" A strongly-made man could wield a rod for hours, which would 

 " be a simple nuisance to a light frame, and some may go in only for 

 " ' big ' fish, and consider it almost waste of time to be hooking 6 or 

 " 7 lbs. 



" No special rule, therefore, can possibly be given. Keep in 

 " mind your means and your strength, and buy your rods and tackle 

 " accordingly. 



" I give my ' turn out ' for the benefit of what I termed light- 

 " framed men. 



" 1. A double-handed trout rod, by Farlow, one I can just use for 

 " half a dozen throws single-handed. 



" 2. A single-handed trout rod, by Farlow, rather a long rod, 

 " and one that it is pleasanter to use with both hands than with one. 



" 3. A light single trout rod. 



" I doubt if the above will suit every one. In tackle, too, there 

 " will be a difference of opinion — some holding with me that light 

 " tackle, and plenty of line will land almost any fish in almost any 

 "water; others preferring treble, and even ' six-strand ' casts; the 

 " latter I term ' cables.' No fish ought to break such things, but I 

 " know they do! Woe to me for my presumption! but I put the 

 " blame entirely on the holder of the rod ! 



" For rod No. 1, I have some 80 to 90 yards of good ' Tussa ' silk 

 " line. Almost always a good single gut salmon cast, and with that 

 " rarely lose a fish. The ' Tussa ' line is a grand line. It will not do 

 " for spinning, but for ' fly ' it is splendid. Not only is it strong, but 

 " it has a quality little known probably, and still less appreciated — 

 " strcfi-hii Try a bit and see how beautifully it yields.* 



" This quality is a grand gain in hooking a fish. The sudden 

 " ' jerk' on the rod with a line that will not give is entirely avoided, 

 " and many a rod-top and trace saved, and many a valuable fly, and 

 " the fish too ! I may say here, to show the double-handed trout rod 

 " is capable of good sound work, that a 44 lbs., 3G lbs., two fish over 

 " 30 lbs., and several hundred (1 can safely say, for I have had the 

 " rod over 12 years) lesser fish confirm its capabilities. Therefore, for 

 "a light-framed man, what we call a 'salmon rod' is simply a 

 " burden. Could he wield it comfortably, he would land his fish sooner, 



* I »i~li I knew the Tussa line, it Bounds excellent. 



