OR WALTONIAN CHRONICLE. 161 



I have found to answer very well generally ; this is made 

 of well seasoned hickery, and well fitted at the joints ; 

 if the plug end of each joint is but very slightly tapered, 

 and carefully fitted and ground in, there will be no oc- 

 casion for whipping the joints together; I have fished 

 many years this way, and have always found my rod 

 fast enough at the end of the longest day's sport. With 

 regard to a rod being so much superior, by being as long 

 as possible in the joints, I am decidedly not of that 

 opinion. If a piece of wood could be procured the full 

 length of the rod, of the same tenacity, straight 

 grained, and free from knots, it would be all very well ; 

 but this is quite impossible, besides the inconvenience 

 to the London Angler, as regards carriage ; I have found 

 a five-jointed rod, made as above, equal in utility to any 

 rod I ever saw or used. 



LANDING NET. 



I have heard some persons deprecate the use of a 

 landing net, saying it does not give the fish a chance ; 

 for my part, I should like to know, if fishing from a high 

 bank, how a good fish, when killed, is to be taken out 

 of the water ; they are mighty honorable I dare saj f , 

 but every credit is due to the Angler, who can rise, 

 hook, and kill a good fish, keeping him clear from 

 weeds and other impediments, till within reach of the 

 landing net, and he deserves praise for not straining his 

 rod or line, and risking the loss of the fish, by weighing 

 him out. The landing net described in fly fishing (see 

 Trout) will suit every purpose for bottom fishing, the 

 large hook substitutes for the net in trolling; some pre- 

 fer a larger net than I have described, but the size be- 



