24 FLY RODS. 



pleasantly or equably as those made of the materials 

 I shall mention. The wood of which a rod is to 

 be composed, should be first well seasoned for four 

 or five years, at least, in the log ; and should then 

 be cut into slips for joints, which should remain at 

 least two or three years more, before they are 

 finally worked up into form. This will at once 

 show you the importance of dealing at an old and 

 well established shop, as no small dealer or 

 manufacturer can sink his capital so long; and it 

 should also convince you of the wisdom of not 

 grudging a good price for so important an article. 

 It will, perhaps, also soon be found advisable to 

 resort to one of the patent modes of preparing 

 wood against dry rot. Not that such a disease often 

 troubles rods, because when cut into slips, the air 

 has sufficient action to prevent it. But by the 

 method used in those patents, (Sir William 

 Barney's at all events,) the wood is much 

 strengthened. 



The colour of the rod is not in general much 

 regarded, and may not materially signify; al- 

 though, I for one, am inclined to think even this 

 worthy of consideration; for as one colour is 

 doubtless more discernible to the human eye 

 than another, so, if we can judge from analogy, 

 it will be to that of fishes. At one time, I 

 preferred black stained, but, upon observation^ 

 unstained is less visible. I also much question 



