FITTINGS FOR THE FLY-ROD 31 



meeting the contingencies of a long, hard trip in 

 the woods. Very few rods in expert hands are broken 

 on fish; but on the portage, or in the boat or canoe, 

 or while tearing your way through thick brush, the 

 chances of a smash-up are numerous. For this reason 

 no one should start on a trip of this character with- 

 out, at the very least, one extra rod. But, while fly- 

 rods are very light, a bundle of two or three, or the 

 same number carried in a leather rod case, makes a 

 very unhandy package. The tourist rods are made for 

 the purpose of doing away with this difficulty. The 

 independent handle, which we will discuss later, is a 

 regular part of the tourist fly-rod, and otherwise the 

 rod consists of two butt-joints, two middle-joints and 

 three tips. The independent handle is carried sepa- 

 rately, and the joints are packed in a case of small 

 caliber, making a much more portable package than a 

 number of individual rods. 



In the trunk or pack rods the idea of portability is 

 carried to the extreme. Rods consisting of as many 

 as nine or more short joints are made, the usual num- 

 ber being six. It is obvious that the number of fer- 

 rules necessary in such a rod must materially affect its 

 action, the tendency being to make the rod too stiff. 

 These rods, also, run rather short, eight and a half 

 or nine feet being the limit. Only in the very best 

 grades are such rods at all satisfactory; and if ex- 

 treme portability is no object it is much better to let 

 the other fellow use them. 



