220 ELEMENTS OF ANGLING. 



In selecting a rod the novice should consider his 

 strength. A man of slight physique will do more 

 good with a light i6ft. rod than he could with a 

 heavy i8ft. weapon ; very likely he would be able 

 to throw a longer line with the little rod ; certainly 

 he could fish with it through a longer day. It is 

 better to have a rod below than above one's 

 strength. Few rivers, as a whole, require a rod of 

 more than lyft, and, though on some of them there 

 are isolated " casts " which need the biggest rod 

 one can handle, it is a mistake to suffer incon- 

 venience for their sake. Use a rod which will 

 cover most of the water, and let the rest go un- 

 fished. The weight of a powerful jyft. greenheart 

 which I use is 4107.; a split-cane of the same 

 length would probably be an ounce or two lighter, 

 so 4002. or thereabouts may be taken as a fair 

 weight for a lyft. rod; a i6ft. rod should weigh 



nothing of the kind. The only certain method that I know 

 of to convict a well-mended kelt is to examine its vent care- 

 fully. Some signs of past inflammation are sure to be 

 visible ; if so, the fish is a kelt, and to be returned, for the 

 vent of the clean fish is small and free from any trace of 

 inflammation. But it is not so very long since I made up my 

 mind, from this and other external indications, that a certain 

 fish was a kelt, and another angler of far greater experience 

 confirmed my view. A post-mortem examination and the 

 presence of fairly well-developed roe proved it to be a clean 

 fish. I wish the novice luck. 



