94 FLY FISHING FOR TROUT. 



heart, when it came in, superseded the three or 

 four-sectioned split cane, for it was much 

 easier to work, cheaper, and for all practical 

 purposes as good. Greenheart in turn was 

 ousted by the six-sectioned split cane, which 

 has now spread all over the world, and is used 

 by everyone who can afford it. It was invented 

 in America, but the actual inventor and exact 

 date are still under dispute. The originator 

 was probably Samuel Phillipe, a gumnaker, of 

 Easton, Pennsylvania. He was experimenting 

 with three and four-sectioned rods in the 

 forties of last century, but failed to make a 

 success of them, and invented the six-section 

 rod. He taught the secret to Charles F. 

 Murphy, who in the sixties was making them 

 for Andrew Clerk and Company, of New York. 

 Therefore probably Phillipe invented it in 

 about the year 1850, and Murphy made it a 

 commercial possibility in 1860 or thereabouts.* 

 Silkworm gut is first mentioned by James 

 Saunders in 1724 in the Compleat Fisherman. 

 After saying that the Swiss and North Italians 

 are the best trout fishers in the world, owing 

 to the many fine streams they possess, he says 

 that they make a fine and exceedingly strong 

 line, drawn from the bowels of silk worms ; like 

 catgut from which viol strings are made, it is 

 so strong that nothing of so small a size can 



*I am indebted to Mr. R. L. Montagu, of Oroville. Cali- 

 fornia, for much of this information about the history of split 

 cane. He has made a study of the subject, and has been 

 good enough to allow me to make use of his knowledge 



