150 Fly -rods and Fly -tackle. 



apart, this would graduate the stiffness nicely and in the 

 desired manner on the principle of the truss. This 

 turned out to be an error, and to him who feels dis- 

 posed to venture in this direction is offered the advice to 

 taper the width of his strips with a file before insertion. 

 Gutta-percha gum, either alone or, if on cooling it does 

 not harden sufficiently, mixed with some Burgundy pitch, 

 will be found a good cement to secure the steel in place, 

 since it is extremely adhesive both to wood and metal, 

 is perfectly water-proof, and, in addition, melts at a low 

 temperature. 



Wooden rods with a steel core are not unknown, but I 

 have never seen one. 



For convenience of comparison, the specific gravities, 

 before given under their appropriate materials, are ar- 

 ranged in tabular form in the order of their weights, 

 the heaviest first (p. 151). The weight of a cubic foot of 

 each is also given in pounds and hundredths of a pound. 

 Those specific gravities not marked with an asterisk, 

 were computed with the kind assistance of Messrs. S. E. 

 Hopkins and Wallace G. Levison, Director of the Cooper 

 Institute Laboratory. Distilled water was the standard. 



The determinations were made with great care, and 

 are believed to be reliable for the specimens tested to at 

 least the third decimal place. Different samples of the 

 same species differ somewhat in weight, but those tested 

 in this instance were of woods carefully selected for the 

 express purpose of rod-making, and were as nearly as 

 possible the very best of their kind. Therefore it is 

 believed that they, and the relative weights determined 

 from them, more correctly represent the material used 

 in fly-rods, than would anything selected at random in 

 the market, or any table computed thereon. 



