"The Angler's Equipment" 149 



by reason of the wood which has been 

 removed), just consider the practical 

 effect, especially when you are using 

 extra fine drawn gut, and a good-sized 

 trout plunges and jiggers as he fights for 

 his freedom. 



When playing a large trout with one of 

 the old rods (which I acknowledge were 

 often far too thick in the butt) by putting 

 the rod over your shoulder, you brought 

 into play the delicate mechanism of the 

 top and the upper portion of the middle 

 joints. Nowadays, with these thin green- 

 heart butts, this delicacy is much lost. 

 One feels the trout give his " knock, knock,'* 

 down to the very hand, at every plunge or 

 kick; and I hold, that for greenheart rods 

 to be cut down so severely in the butt, is 

 a mistake. I do not question the casting 

 powers of these attenuated greenheart rods, 

 although I scout as absurd the idea that 

 they cast a better line. I hold that a rod 

 which possesses the requisite power, should 

 likewise be delicate in its action, when a 

 large trout is leaping about. 



I will make my meaning clearer by 

 relating a somewhat old story. 



I had borrowed a very soft and pliable 

 rod, and was fishing on the Teviot with 



