RODS. 73 



ciil precision from the reel to the point, alleging, amongst 

 other advantages claimed, that with this shaped rod a spare 

 top can always be carried in case of accident without the in- 

 convenience of a separate top case. Of late years, however, 

 many practical fly fishers indeed, I may say the large ma- 

 jority favour some modification or other of the form of the 

 rod which owed its birth, or, at any rate, its christening, to the 

 halrityes of Castle Connell preferring the swishy play obtained 

 by fining or tapering away the butt rapidly from above the 

 reel. . . . 



On all these subjects, were I to go into them in detail. I 

 might easily double the length of this chapter, without carrying 

 conviction, or probably amusement, to anybody but myself. I, 

 therefore, refrain from doing more than touching lightly on the 

 less controversial aspects of the question, leaving every man 

 to remain, as, indeed, he ought to be, and would be for any- 

 thing I could write to the contrary, his own counsel, judge, 

 and jury. . . . And to begin with a word or two on the now 

 fashionable built or split-cane rods may not be out of place. 



In the ' Art of Fly-making,' published by Mr. Blacker 

 about fifty years ago, second edition, occurs, I believe, the first 

 notice of split-cane rods. 'The beautiful rent and glued-up 

 bamboo-cane fly rods,' Mr. Blacker says, ' which I turn out to 

 the greatest perfection, are very 

 valuable, as they are both light and 

 powerful, and throw the line with 

 great facility. . . . They will last for 

 years, if really well made, and,' he 

 very properly adds, ' taken care of.' 

 The wood employed in their manu- 

 facture is the Indian 'male bamboo,' 

 and figures i, 2, and 3 showing sec- 

 tions of the modern split-cane rod, 

 will illustrate the manner in which 



they are ' built.' Fig. i is a section of the cane of one of these 

 bamboos used in the construction of the larger joints, and it 



