i8 CASTING TACKLE AND METHODS 



American woods. So far I have found the rod must 

 be of no inconsiderable caliber in order to secure 

 sufficient backbone and shooting power. 



Two years ago a friend sent me three sticks of 

 western yew (Taxm brevifolia, Nutt), a tough, 

 straight grained wood, employed by the Indians of 

 the North-west for bows; which I made up into a 

 casting rod, finishing it in its natural color, and it 

 made a beautiful caster. I have not had sufficient 

 opportunity to try it out, but thus far the rod has 

 stood up well. It has an unusual amount of back- 

 bone and shooting power, and has not the tendency 

 to "set" that most native woods manifest, though it 

 does become bent under hard service. I do not pro- 

 fess that this yew is the long sought native rod ma- 

 terial, but I do claim for it the respectful attention 

 of rod makers. I doubt that it will ever be used for 

 fly rods to any great extent but it does make up into 

 very good short casting rods. 



Hickory has been used for ages in this country ; by 

 the Indians for bows, by the ox-drivers for goad- 

 sticks, by the wood-choppers for axe-helves, in fact 

 it has been employed wherever a tough, pliable wood 

 has been required. However, it is not a success as a 

 rod material, for while it is tough enough it lacks 

 backbone, is too whippy, and "sets" almost at the 

 first cast. One peculiarity of my hickory rod is that 

 it seems to be influenced by climatic changes, even 

 though stored away in my rod-cabinet. The weight 



