FLY FISHING. 39 



whilst the ring ties, and top splices were of the most showy red. 

 And I have seen a rod painted sky blue ! A dark rod, however, 

 being more like the colour of the sticks the fish are often in the 

 habit of seeing waved about by the winds on the banks, seems 

 the colour of all others least likely to excite their suspicion ; yet 

 in purchasing a rod it must be kept in mind that a dark colour 

 will hide defects that could easily be detected in a mere coating 

 of light varnish, and therefore defective rods may possibly be 

 stained of a dark colour for the express purpose of concealing 

 their imperfections. 



In order to preserve a rod it must be kept well varnished, other- 

 wise not only will the silk soon wear off the ring ties and top 

 splices, but the rod itself will get rotten and out of shape. It is 

 an old Dutch proverb, that "paint and varnish cost nothing," 

 from the preservation those articles afford to the material they 

 cover ; and I think this may be aptly applied to a fishing rod, 

 since about two pennyworth of copal varnish, laid on with a 

 penny camel hair pencil, will last throughout the whole season. 

 But the most superior coating of all for a rod, is the French polish. 

 This experiment a clerical friend of mine, extremely cunning in 

 mechanical art, discovered a year or two since and communicated 

 to me, and never have I met with any thing that equalled it, 

 either for appearance or durability. It is a tedious process, how- 

 ever, to rub it on, particularly to those unaccustomed to the 

 work, as was my case in the commencement, but when completed 

 I found my labours fully requited, As the art of French polishing 

 is now so well known, fishing tackle makers would find no diffi- 

 culty in getting rods polished in this manner, the good effects of 

 which I am certain would soon be duly appreciated. 



It is by no means unfrequent for anglers to make their own 

 rods, but the greater part of those which I have seen were utter 

 failures, as were certainly all I ever attempted to fabricate my- 

 self, which by the bye served me perfectly right, for my assurance 

 in attempting at originality when I wanted even the capacity for 

 imitation ; and as I always attempted to make something better 

 than I had ever seen before, I universally arrived at something a 

 great deal worse. My clerical friend already alluded to is an 

 exception to the generality of rod makers, having himself turned 

 out as complete, and certainly the highest finished rods, even to 

 the very brass work, I ever came across ; and I am happy to say I 



