CHAP. xx. Rod Rings. 303 



They are also better for bearing the strain and the friction when the 

 rod is bending in the playing of a heavy fish. If the inside of the eye 

 of the ring be one-eighth of an inch clear it is surely large enough. 



The snake rings of phosphor bronze, not steel, have a fascination 

 for many, and tackle-makers commend them. To me they look as if 

 the line was likely to hitch if, reversing your rod, you play your fish 

 with the rings uppermost. And so I never would risk trying them, and 

 consequently am not competent to condemn them. 



I have preferred this pattern, originally my own tinkering out of 

 brass wire, then made for me for a song by a native jeweller, now made 

 by Farlow of a harder material, phosphor bronze. They are 

 the lightest and cheapest I know, and whichever way you 

 turn your rod the friction of the line comes on the metal of 

 the ring, not on the whipping. Their lightness is a special 

 recommendation for Labeo rods. 



Farlow makes nearly the same with a revolving centre, the same 

 size, as shown in the rod top ring. They are very perfect. You might 

 have them on your Mahseer rod, while you have my lighter smaller 

 ones on your Labeo and Trout rods. 



Similar rings are made with a steel revolving centre, lacquered. I 

 would dissuade you from them because of the danger of rust and 

 fraying of the line, as mentioned in connection with steel centres to 

 eyes at the rod point. 



Sinkers. I think the best form is that used in the Dee spin- 

 ning tackle, page 69, and made larger for Mahseer. Farlow has 

 had special moulds made at my request for sinkers of i^ and i inch 

 in length, with holes large enough to allow the loop of wire gimp to 

 pass. You will see them illustrated at page 68 supra. 



'Whipping. It is the fashion with some tackle-makers to bind 

 the gut loops in the snood and collar with silk, whereas the fastening 

 would be both tighter and less visible, besides lasting longer, if in 

 single gut it were simply knotted after well soaking the gut. In India 

 particularly, where whip fastenings are so liable to come undone, from 

 the extreme dryness of the air shrinking the gut, spoiling the wax, and 

 slackening the silk binding, it would be more satisfactory to have plain 

 gut knots. Knots also are not liable to fray as silk is from wear. 

 With treble gut collars, of course, the best fastening is the whipping 

 with gut, which is exceedingly neat and durable. 



