CHAPTER III 

 THE ROD 



FITTINGS, style, length and weight, material 

 and price, are the things usually considered in 

 choosing a casting rod. They are all related, 

 yet if we were to combine the very best characteristic 

 of each in one rod the result would not be an ideal 

 tool for all kinds of casting. Such a rod would pos- 

 sess the limitations of any Jack-of-All-Trades. In 

 other words, there is no such thing as an ideal all- 

 around rod. 



Obviously the rod suitable for casting plugs weigh- 

 ing an ounce must be fairly stiff and heavy; so must 

 the rod that will be used for fishing in heavy weed 

 growth or in other places where the fish must be 

 brought to gaff quickly or never, and where the "der- 

 ricking" of weeds is inevitable even with the most weed- 

 less of hooks. On the other hand, for casting light 

 spinners or pork strip weighing a quarter of an ounce 

 or so you will need, for the best work, a rod with con- 

 siderable "whip." The same rod would give you more 

 sport in open water fishing. So in buying a rod, be- 

 sides the features mentioned above, we must also con- 

 sider the kinds of bait we will use, the places we 



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