140 A ROD FOB LARGE TROUT. 



always fish with in small streams, and it works admirably. 

 It is very light and handy, possesses great power, for I can 

 pull a pound-and-a-half trout through .weeds on an emer- 

 gency with it without the slightest injury to the top 

 thanks to the noble qualities of the greenheart and I can 

 cast a midge fly with it as well as with a single-hand rod. 

 As I am used to it, I would not change it for any other. 

 I leave other anglers to please themselves, as they may 

 not approve of the manufacture. My other double rod is 

 of hickory, and was made by Carter of Pcntonville ; it is 

 15 ft. 2 in. long, and is of course somewhat heavier than 

 the last rod. It is a splendid rod for large fish, possessing 

 great power ; for flies of moderate size it is perfection, but 

 it is only fair to say that it is rather severe upon midge 

 flies, and sometimes leaves the stretcher reposing on the 

 grass. I had it made for large trout and sea trout, with 

 the chance now and then of a grilse; but it answers ex- 

 ceedingly well even on small streams, when the smallest- 

 sized flies are not needed ; and with a trout of from three 

 to seven pounds weight, it is delightful to hold such a 

 weapon. I killed four fish with a large palmer fly at 

 Alton, during two evenings in the first season I used it, that 

 weighed together 22lbs., and the proprietor of the water 

 was so pleased with it that he had one made to the same 

 pattern. Previous to that time he had always used a single- 

 hand rod, but as the fish run very large, even up to nine 

 or ten pounds in his water, he often had great difficulty 

 in landing them. I have also a three-joint greenheart 

 which I use now and then for a change. It is very similar 

 in its qualities to the last, though a trifle heavier. It 

 might stand better, however, with heavy fish. 



As hardly anybody makes his own rod now-a-day?, the 

 best direction I can give is to go to a first-class rod maker, 

 pay him a good price, tell him the sort of rod you want, if 

 you are not equal to choosing one for yourself, and leave 



