THE EOD. 71 



There are several different kinds of wood used 

 in the construction of fly-rods, those in greatest 

 repute being ash, willow, and fir for the butt ; 

 lancewood, bamboo cane, elder, briar, and hazel 

 for the top ; and hickory, lancewood, yew, &c., 

 for the intermediate pieces. Of these^ the best, 

 perhaps, are willow, hickory, bamboo cane, and 

 lancewood. The last, for the top joint, can be 

 made of sufficient thinness at the point to dis- 

 pense with whalebone, which is heavy and other- 

 wise objectionable. We need not say that what- 

 ever kinds of wood are used, it is of paramount 

 importance that it be well seasoned, and that the 

 different sorts in the same rod be properly adapted 

 to each other. The butt should be bored, for the 

 purpose of receiving a spare top, and furnished 

 with a spike screwed into its base. Modern rods, 

 of any pretension to superiority, are never made 

 without these obvious conveniences. 



As to the colour of rods, it is not, perhaps, a 

 matter worth disputing, although we must con- 

 fess that we have a decided penchant for black. 

 Some may think us fastidious in supposing that 

 highly varnished yellow rods are likely to scare 

 the fish particularly in sunshine. One thing, 

 however, and it is important, must be said in 

 favour of light varnish, namely, that it renders 

 r 4 



