Yorkshire Fly -Rods. 199 



ty'd together with fine thread below, and 

 Silk above, as to make it taper, like a 

 switch, and to ply with a true bent to 

 your hand ; and these are so light, being 

 made of Fir wood, for two or three lengths, 

 nearest to the hand, and of other wood 

 nearer the top, that a Man might very 

 easily manage the longest of them that 

 ever I saw, with one hand." 



When fishing on that lovely trout and 

 salmon river the Eden in Cumberland 

 some years ago, I found spliced fly-rods of 

 fir and lance wood were used by many 

 of the anglers ; and I had one made by 

 a carpenter at Langwathby who had a 

 reputation for them. It was not at all 

 a bad rod. 



As the length of these rods for trout- 

 fishing is not to be more than eighteen feet, 

 it will be seen that fly-fishers of Cotton's 

 time could, though no running line was 

 used, command a good length of line, 

 how much he does not say, except to note 

 that, " to a Man that knows how to handle 

 his Rod, and to cast, the length of the line 

 is no manner of encumbrance, excepting 

 in woody places, and in landing of a Fish, 

 which every one that can afford to Angle 

 for pleasure, has some body to do for him, 

 and the length of line is a mighty advantage 

 to the fishing at a distance ; and 



