44 



been found to combine all the qualities of toughness, strength, 

 and elasticity in a remarkable degree. Of it the springs of 

 volantes are constructed. But the material par excellence is 

 the bamboo sawed longitudinally, with the separate strips so 

 nicely adjusted and fitted together as to form an apparently 

 solid piece. A " split bamboo " rod, such as is manfactured 

 by Andrew Clerke, of New York, possesses equal power 

 with any other rod, and is from thirty-three to fifty per cent 

 lighter. 



Now, the creation of a perfect arch is the true philosophy 

 of rod manufacture, just as the management of this arch in 

 motion is the essence of scientific angling. The elastic pro- 

 perties of a rod should be evenly distributed and maintained 

 throughout its length from tip to but, so that when the rod 

 is bent, no variation from a perfect arch can be detected. 

 Metal ferrules, being stiff and unyielding, interfere with the 

 proper formation and play of the arch ; hence manufacturers 

 have sought to obviate the difficulty by making their rods 

 of three or even two joints, instead of four, as formerly. 

 Some have connected the middle joint and tip by a splice, 

 while others dispense with the ferrule altogether. The Scrib- 

 ner rod is made with a screw ferrule for the but and a splice 

 for the tip. The screw device renders loop-ties unnecessary, 

 while the ferrule prevents the joints from becoming shaky 

 by wear. Uniform elasticity being secured, the second requi- 

 site is stiffness that peculiar power or force which, combined 

 with the elastic properties of the wood, produces a certain 

 yielding resistance which prevents the fish from exerting his 

 full strength on the hook, the leader, or the line ; for from 

 the moment a fish is hooked until he is landed, the arch of 

 the rod, either longer or shorter, should be persistently main- 

 tained ; the fish should be killed on the rod, not on the line. 

 A horse cannot exert his strength to advantage with elastic 

 traces ; neither can a salmon overcome that mysterious force 

 which, ever yielding, never breaks. The third requisite of a 

 perfect rod is lightness. In this respect, all other things 



