220 FLY FISHING AND SPINNING 



The pliability of the rod counteracts to a very great 

 extent the fault of snatching the line off the water in the 

 back cast, or of a too forceful strike at a rising fish. But 

 here the advantage of the whippiness of a fly rod ends, and 

 the advantages of a stiff rod have to be considered. Always 

 assuming that in other respects the rod is perfect, its 

 stiffness will permit a quicker and more direct impulse to 

 be communicated to the line both in casting and in striking, 

 a longer line to be picked off the water, a greater length of 

 line projected in casting, and greater mastery over the fish 

 when hooked, a better result when casting against the wind, 

 and greater accuracy. Hence it is that, when the vibrant 

 qualities of a rod are sufficiently brilliant to secure an all 

 round excellence in these latter qualities, and when its 

 balance and action blend themselves into the muscular and 

 sensitive qualities of the forearm of the user that the 

 perfect rod is recognized. 



THE TREATMENT OF A FLY ROD 



The rod which, in the hands of a skilful and reasonable 

 man, will last for a lifetime, will in the hands of another soon 

 become strained and warped either by playing a fish heavily, 

 striking abruptly when using a long line, or by trying to 

 jerk the line off the water instead of picking it off gradually 

 when making the back cast. 



A fly rod should be used only as a fly casting rod, and 

 never as a trolling or spinning one. The stiffer the rod 

 all its other qualities being perfect the greater the distance 

 which can be covered and the greater the command when 

 striking and playing a fish. 



The casting power of the rod depends on the amount of 

 line which the rod can raise from the surface of the water. 

 The relation of the line to the rod must, therefore, be very 

 carefully considered, and a line whose taper and weight 



