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One of the most constant and greatest de- 

 fects in rods is, that they are made to taper 

 too abruptly from a little above the spot the 

 reel is placed on, down as far as the first joint. 

 This defect is particularly remarkable in rods 

 of Irish manufacture, which, though much 

 vaunted by prejudiced anglers, are inferior to 

 English rods; and their inferiority is mainly 

 to be attributed to the great weight of their 

 ferrules, weighing twice or three times more 

 than ours, and to the mode of fastening the 

 joints by means of screws, all which contributes 

 to render their rods too heavy, and to neutra- 

 lise the good properties which they otherwise 

 possess. Your rod should taper in just pro- 

 portion from but to top, if not it will not bend 

 with exact uniformity, and there will be an 

 unequal stress on the different portions of it. 

 When a rod tapers with mathematical exact- 

 ness, its pliability will be in uniform proportion 

 with the thickness and strength of its parts, 

 and each part will have to bear a weight exactly 

 in proportion with its power of bearing it. In 

 a rod of fair proportions the second and third 

 joints do most of the work, on them is greatest 

 stress, and on them chiefly depends your suc- 

 cess in throwing with precision your line, stri- 

 king your fish, hooking and playing him. If 

 they be defective in proportion, or composed of 



