45 



the but-end for the reel to fasten on properly ; 

 the middle part seasoned yew or hickory ; the 

 top of the same, well spliced, with about half 

 a foot of good round whalebone to fit nicely, 

 properly tapered to the end, and ringed 

 neatly ; and when put together it must be very 

 regularly taper from bottom to top, with a 

 good spring, and pliable almost to the hand,* 

 for fly-fishing; but you should have another 

 top, much stiflfer, to put on for minnow and 

 worm-fishing. The but-end of your rod 

 should be bored so as to be adapted to hold 

 either top, according as you change them, 

 with a screw or cap at the end to keep it from 

 dropping out. For fly-fishing only, your rod 

 should be but of two parts, without ferrules, 

 and the lower part longer than the upper part, 

 with the small end of the former and the large 

 end of the latter, cut nicely to fit, as for spli- 

 cing, but pretty long ; it may be tied together 

 by the water-side, with a proper-sized twisted 

 and waxed hempen thread, such as shoe-ma- 

 kers use ; and when you have left off fishing, 

 you should untie the rod, and wrap the string 

 round both parts together, for the more con- 



* Reader, in choosing a rod never follow this advice, for 

 a rod can have no greater defect than that of being " pli- 

 able almost to the hand." If it be, you can neither throw 

 a line, nor hook a fish well, and, above all, you can have 

 no command over him when he is hooked. 



