36 FLY FISHING. 



veniently to carry to any distance, especially on horseback, or in 

 a carriage. The persons they are best adapted for are those living 

 near the river side, and if a place under cover can be found suffi- 

 ciently high to let the rod hang perpendicularly by the top, it will 

 do much to preserve it from warping. The best, as well as most 

 convenient plan I know for fitting the joints of a rod, is to have 

 ferrules for all but the joint next the top, and to fasten the two 

 top pieces together with a splice, using stout waxed thread for the 

 purpose which may be done in a minute or two when you arrive 

 at the water side, and undone again even in less time when you 

 leave off fishing. By this means you gain a better play than with 

 a ferrule, whilst putting the rod together in this manner is attend^ 

 ed with very little waste of time or additional trouble. 



As to the number of joints much diversity of opinion pre- 

 vails even amongst the most experienced fishermen. I myself 

 have been the possessor of rods with two, three, four, and five 

 joints, all which I deemed excellent of their kind. Sometime since 

 I gave a preference to a four-jointed rod; but having latterly seen 

 some excellent three-jointed rods where the splice instead of the 

 ferrule has been adopted for the top joints I must now confess 

 I have changed my opinion, and except for the convenience of 

 carriage from place to place, in which the four- jointed rod has 

 decidedly the advantage, I now consider that a three -jointed rod 

 with a ferrule only at the butt and the top fitted with a splice to 

 the middle joint, is the best style of rod that can be employed in 

 fly fishing for trout. 



The materials usually employed for constructing fly rods, are 

 ash for the butt, hickory for the intermediate joints between that 

 and the top. and also for the first piece of the top itself, the other 

 pieces being of bamboo, with a short piece of fine whalebone at 

 the extreme end. Mr. Ronalds, however, in his work on Fly Fish- 

 ing, prefers lancewood to hickory for the middle joints, but I am 

 doubtful whether he can have given the latter a fair trial, as it is 

 in every respect superior to lancewood, being much lighter, equal- 

 ly elastic, and far less brittle. A hickory stock, particularly in a 

 three-jointed rod, is also better than ash, as it is more elastic as 

 well as stronger. The only objection is, its being more expensive. 

 Most persons like to have a hole drilled through the bottom joint 

 to contain a spare top ; but this I have for some years dis- 

 pensed with, for notwithstanding a spare top in case of accidents 



