RODS. 



79 



Mr. Jas. Ogden, of Cheltenham, whose 10 ft. greenheart spliced 

 rods are also excellent. With one of these 10 ft. rods I have 

 killed, during many years, I hesitate to say what weight of 

 brown and white trout, and, except for a ' simple fracture ' on 

 one top, it is still as sound in every respect as the day I first 

 put it together. It has had to take its chance with all sorts 

 of rough work boat and bank but not even a ring is bent. 

 This last is owing to the form of ring with which it is fitted. 



The cut shows the form of this ring. I christened it 

 (having, as it might be said, stood god-father at its entrance on 

 public life) the ' snake ring.' At any rate, since prominent 



attention was first called to it in my essay on ' Modern Im- 

 provements in Fishing Tackle and Fish Hooks,' it seems to 

 have become the ' fashion.' A, B, c, and D are facsimiles of 

 snake rings suited to my pattern of 13 ft. 6 in. salmon rod. 

 For trout rods the rings should be much smaller and of lighter 

 wire. The form of the ring gives it these undeniable advan- 

 tages over the old pattern, whether upright or movable : it can 

 hardly get bent ; it cannot practically get broken ; it cannot 

 stick in the rod bag. 



The cut represents the smaller sizes of snake rings suitable 



