FLY-FISHING. 255 



intelligent sportsman that the butt of a fly-rod must 

 never be hollow ; its solidity is necessary to a proper 

 balance ; but where the fishing is merely to be done 

 along the streams, a spear-head that can be screwed 

 into the end will add little to the weight, and prove 

 useful driven into the ground to hold the rod, while 

 the fisherman changes his flies or frees them from a 

 weed or bush. On a trout-rod there should be no 

 reel-bands, but a gutta-percha ring, or a leather 

 strap and buckle, will retain the reel firmly, and ena- 

 ble the angler to change its position at his pleasure, 

 and by altering the balance, rest his wrist. These 

 seem trivial matters, but mole-hills are mountains if 

 they rest upon a sore spot. On a salmon-rod the 

 reel-bands should be strong, and about a foot from 

 the end. 



There should be rings or guides enough on a fly- 

 rod to bring the strain evenly throughout, and if one 

 is destroyed, it should be replaced at once, or a lia- 

 bility to break will result. If rings are used, they and 

 the brass top should be large and fastened on with 

 a whipping of silk, that adds much strength to the 

 wood. Where a spliced rod is used, it is well to 

 have a small ring of brass, somewhat similar to the 

 reel-band on each joint, under which the end of the 

 splice can be slipped before fastening it. 



For salmon and trout-fishing, the reel had better 

 be a simple, large barrelled click-reel, as the music of 

 the line, unwinding to the rush of these splendid fish, 

 while it indicates the rate of its diminution, is to the 

 angler what the clarion is to the warrior, or the 



