196 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 



comes in contact with the handle, to the extreme end of 

 the butt cap. Make that portion of the handle devoted 

 to the reel, and which will of course be below the hand, 

 as short as you can. It should be equal to the sum of 

 lengths of the butt cap, that portion of your reel by which 

 it is attached to the handle (the reel plate), and your two 

 reel bands. Or you may procure from the same source 

 from which you would order your other material, a hol- 

 low metal reel seat, which includes in itself butt cap and 

 all bands, at about double cost. Then to fit the lower 

 end of your handle to it, and cement it on, is all that is 

 necessary. 



It is usually recommended to place the reel as near 

 the butt end of the handle as possible, since then the 

 weight acts more efficiently to counterpoise, and thus 

 diminish the apparent weight of the rod. Therefore, 

 one end of the reel plate is inserted directly under the 

 edge of the butt cap itself, and one reel band, sliding 

 from above, confines the other extremity. This arrange- 

 ment dispenses with one reel band. It does very well 

 for small fish ; but where those are expected which will 

 give from five to thirty minutes' play, no man can stand 

 the fatigue of so protracted a struggle at arm's-length. 

 The butt of the rod is then placed against the body, and 

 when the reel handle is manipulated, a blow in the stom- 

 ach is received at each revolution. Influenced by this 

 annoyance, I place a fixed band immediately below the 

 grasp, under which I insert one end of the reel plate. 

 The sliding band, used to confine the other end of the 

 reel plate, is placed between this and the butt cap. 



In forming your reel seat, in case you do not use that 

 of metal mentioned above, do not endeavor to shape out 

 a depression to fit, since to do this neatly requires time 



