54 ROD AND RIVER 



in Ireland, called the Castle Connell, inasmuch as 

 they are made at the place of that name. Of all 

 abominable things to fish with these rods are, I 

 consider, the most unsatisfactory. Those people 

 who like them, and can use them, swear by them, 

 and for switching, and a switch style of casting, 

 they may be all very well. But they are, at the 

 best, but limp, wobbly rods. It takes a consider- 

 able time to get into the way of using them, and 

 I fail to see what possible advantage there is in 

 taking the trouble to learn how to manage them ; 

 for any good rod can perform all that they are 

 capable of, and a great deal more which they 

 cannot. They are made to splice in two pieces, 

 and are excessively awkward to carry about by 

 reason of their length. 



And now, while referring to spliced rods, I may 

 as well state that opinion is very much divided as 

 to the merits of spliced rods over those which are 

 ferruled. I hold to my own ideas on the subject, 

 and I do not wish to influence my readers, but 

 would prefer their forming their own judgment. 

 Personally, I must say that I have quite failed to 

 recognise the advantages claimed for spliced rods. 

 I have owned several of them, and am forced to 

 admit that I infinitely prefer ferruled rods. Setting 

 aside the trouble of splicing the rod when required 

 for use, and its awkwardness for carrying about, I 

 do not like the action of spliced rods. I have 



