THE BAIT-CASTING ROD 7 



I have said that the 5 foot rod possesses 

 "action," that resiliency which marks the difference 

 between a u rod" and a "stick." Somewhere I once 

 read some such statement as this: "I had just as 

 soon go fishing with my reel attached to an umbrella 

 handle as to use one of the modern short sticks 

 erroneously dubbed a rod." Manifestly the writer 

 was so prejudiced that he could not be convinced, or 

 had never handled a well-made casting rod. In my 

 cabinet I have a number of rods 5 feet long, any one 

 of which will respond quickly to the wish cf the 

 angler or surge of the fish. The uninitiated would 

 be surprised to witness the action of these rods when 

 engaged with a fighting bass or obstreperous pike. 

 Their resiliency, quickness, responsiveness to bor- 

 row a word, u humanness," is almost passing belief. 

 You must have action as well as backbone in order 

 to cast a lure effectively and effectually. You cannot 

 cast well with an umbrella-handle ! 



I grant all that has been said regarding the neces- 

 sity for action when landing a fish I have said con- 

 siderable myself but I here assert that action is as 

 essential in casting. A rod should not be weak and 

 flabby, that goes without saying, it must be able to 

 stand on its own dignity : but just the same, it must 

 possess some of that whip-like quality in order to 

 shoot and control the lure. A rod over $ l / 2 feet 

 long loses in backbone and control in exact ratio as 

 it gains in whippiness. Whippiness is not action, the 



