104 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 



to be sound; nor can I doubt either, unless at the same 

 time I call in question the most elementary principles of 

 natural philosophy, and the testimony of my own eyes. 



I believe the sole reason why a rod of over eleven feet 

 is to-day found in the hands of any experienced angler 

 in this country, is that it became his when the art was 

 younger than it now is, or when he was younger in it; 

 that he has grown accustomed to its use, and that he has 

 lacked the opportunity or inclination to try, or is un- 

 willing to undergo the expense of a shorter and lighter 

 rod. 



One advantage, however, should in fairness be accred- 

 ited to the longer rod, and, as far as I can learn from the 

 teachings of theory and practice, it is the only one. In 

 fishing for the small trout of much-fished waters, so hand- 

 ling the flies that the droppers just dap upon the surface 

 undoubtedly gives the best result. It is clear the length 

 of cast can be more varied without losing this advantage 

 with a longer, than with a shorter rod. Still, by adjust- 

 ing the flies on the leader at somewhat increased inter- 

 vals, it is believed that the disadvantage of the shorter 

 rod in this respect becomes slight, and by no means suffi- 

 cient to offset its other and decided points of superiority. 



Again and again has the writer seen anglers visit the 

 Rangely region of Maine (where brook-trout grow to a 

 size elsewhere unknown), armed with a longer and a short- 

 er rod. There, if anywhere, the longer rod should find 

 its fitting place, and with the truth of that opinion firmly 

 in mind has the new-comer prepared himself. With the 

 longer rod he intends to do the greater part of his fish- 

 ing, while confining the shorter solely to picking up a 

 few of the little fellows on the smaller streams. And 

 what is the result? It follows as surely as the wrong- 



