ACTION OF A PERFECT TROUT ROD 219 



successful back cast with such a rod would necessarily be of 

 a more rapid and violent nature, and, even if effective, would 

 result in a most prejudicial disturbance of the water as the 

 line was jerked backward ; the longer the line the more 

 would this fault develop. This of course refers to a 

 perfectly stiff rod. 



If absolute rigidity of the rod disappeared, and whippiness 

 began to appear, a less violent jerk would be required to 

 effect the backward cast, and as whippiness increased, the 

 jerking action would become unnecessary and would 

 disappear and devolve into the upward and backward 

 switching movement. 



In the other extreme, an excessively whippy rod, on the 

 backward effort being applied, would rapidly acquire such 

 a bend, that the hand would have reached the end of any 

 possible backward extension long before enough energy to 

 conquer the frictional resistance of the water and project 

 the line backward had been imparted, and whatever latent 

 energy had been retained by the rod, it would not be 

 sufficient to extend the line and fly backward to its right 

 elevation with anything like the vim required. 



THE PERFECT ROD 



The perfect rod for each fisherman should enable him by 

 a movement of the forearm from its horizontal to the 

 vertical position to pick up off the water, easily and quickly, 

 and to extend correctly backward, such a length of line as he 

 may require to use. The relative stiffness of a rod affects 

 its casting powers, and its whippiness affects its delicate 

 adaptation of the force applied in casting, striking, or playing 

 the fish. 



The more perfect the rod, the less is the danger of dis- 

 turbing the surface of the water when making the back cast, 

 or of breaking the fine point of the gut cast when striking. 



