68 FLY FISHING FOR TROUT. 



made of six, eight, ten or twelve pieces spliced 

 together, tapering like a switch and playing 

 with a true bent down to the hand. Hazel 

 was however the favourite material, though 

 some used cane with a hazel top; whalebone 

 was generally used for the actual point.* 

 Venables' favourite top was four feet of hazel, 

 two feet of blackthorn or crabtree, finished off 

 with whalebone. The rod tapered evenly from 

 butt to point. The common phrase to express 

 this is the curious one rush grown,' that is 

 tapered like a rush, or as Dennys says, 'In shape 

 and beautie like the Belgicke reed;' nearly 

 every author of Cotton's date uses the expres- 

 sion. Home-made rods had largely gone out. 

 The line, of twisted horsehair or of hair and 

 silk mixed, was tapered from as many as twelve 

 or even twenty hairs down to a casting line 

 which was one, two or at most three hairs thick. 

 Lines were made specially heavy for fly fishing, 

 as they were easy to cast. Plain horsehair was 

 commoner for the line than hair and silk mixed. 

 Venables dislikes the mixture and subsequent 

 experience proves him right. Hair and silk 

 mix badly, for wetting affects them differently, 

 and the strain comes all on one or all on the 

 other. For the Mayfly Cotton used a casting 

 line of three hairs twisted, for ordinary fishing 

 double hair twisted, and single hair for very 

 small flies. Double hair untwisted he thinks 

 stronger than twisted, but it has the disadvan- 



*Spey salmon rods are still made with a tip of whalebone. 



