FLY FISHING. 35 



long ; but the great length adds so much to the top weight from 

 the increased leverage, that, though my trolling rod in itself is not 

 a heavy one, yet when put together few of my angling acquaintance 

 can keep the top from falling on the ground when held horizontal- 

 ly, single handed, and yet from frequent use I can manage it with 

 one hand with the greatest ease, but a fly rod of fifteen feet long 

 would knock me up in a very short time ; nor do I believe that 

 one man in fifty, if the rod were properly proportioned, could fish 

 with it single handed for half an hour together, and even if he 

 could there is little doubt but he would have done better with a 

 lighter one. Every thing in a rod a fly rod in particular depends 

 upon its symmetry, as it should play even from the very hand to 

 the extreme point at the top. The fault of a great many fly rods 

 is, that in order to gain length, an over-long top is added to joints 

 too fragile to sustain the weight, which consequently become over- 

 bent, whilst the top itself remains quite stiff, thus causing a second 

 action which occasions the line to flip back, and the flies by that 

 means to fall short of their destination, so that the rod so con- 

 structed is utterly unfit for the purpose. No long rod can be 

 an useful one, unless it be stout in proportion, when it becomes so 

 heavy as to be only adapted for casting with both hands, a most 

 in- elegant, though assuredly the most innocent mode of whipping 

 for trout ; as to salmon fishing that is quite a different matter, but 

 with this subject we have nothing to do now. 



The best fly rod I ever possessed I bought some five years since, 

 at Shaw's, in Fore-street, Devonport. I went into the shop for 

 the purpose of purchasing a rod to present by way of keepsake to 

 a friend, when I was most agreeably surprised at stumbling almost 

 unexpectedly upon a most splendid assortment of fishing tackle of 

 all kinds, which caused me to leave the shop with less cash in my 

 pocket than I contemplated when I first entered it ; and amongst 

 my purchases, was the rod in question, which I purchased on my 

 own account, in addition to that I bought for my friend, and had 

 certainly every reason to be satisfied with my bargain, as it turned 

 out the very best I ever threw a fly with. 



A great deal in the play of a rod depends upon its fitting well 

 at the joints. Some persons prefer a rod without ferrules, being 

 merely fitted in splices, as is the case with most of the Irish rods. 

 But if the rod is kept constantly tied together, it is very apt to 

 become crooked and out of shape, and is also particularly incon- 



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