SPLIT-BAMBOO BAIT-CASTING RODS 13 



to be distributed equally and giving the bamboo a 

 chance to spring without being stiffened by a ferrule, 

 and the action killed. This short-butt, long-tip con- 

 struction gives you a snappy rod that shoots out the 

 cast without unnecessary strain on the wrists and 

 arm. In selecting a rod of two-piece construction, 

 side-step the rod with the ferrule directly in the 

 middle, the point of greatest strain in landing a fish. 



THREE-PIECE HANDY TO CARRY 



The main thing in favor of the three-piece rod is 

 the fact that you can stick it in a suitcase and carry 

 it without any bother. Every place you put a fer- 

 rule on a rod kills that much more resiliency in the 

 bamboo. The ferrule is unbendable and at that 

 point comes the break when the load on the bamboo 

 is too severe. This is a hundred to one shot and 

 you can play it clean across the board and never take 

 a chance on your money. Although serrated fer- 

 rules are used in the more expensive rods, they can- 

 not eliminate the severe strain which generally 

 causes the rod to break either right above or below 

 the ferrule. Even at that, the three-piece rod is 

 stronger than the two-piece rod when the ferrule on 

 the latter is in the middle. 



LENGTH AND WEIGHT OF RODS 



Early in the bait-casting game the rods were gen- 

 erally made either four or four and a half feet in 



