SALMON-REELS AND LINES. 311 



may be promptly performed ; since the length of the cast 

 is controlled by the quantity of line that can be got off 

 cleanly and well, and a stiff top does this better than a 

 limp one. And, certainly, these rods do throw a long line, 

 though somewhat unpleasant to handle at first. 



With respect to the weight of salmon-rods, I may say 

 that I have two old rods which have been in use several 

 years, and the weight of each is as follows. One is from 

 Farlow's : a four-joint ferruled rod, 16 feet 7 inches long, 

 and the weight of which is but 2 Ib. 6 oz. This some 

 persons would almost regard as a grilse-rod : yet I can 

 put out a good long line with it, and have killed hundreds 

 of fish with it. For a lake or small river it is amply large. 

 The other rod is an old Bowness and Chevalier ; it is 

 18 feet 3 inches long, and weighs 3J Ib. It is a very 

 powerful rod, and very large in the but. Both of these 

 rods are hickory. To show the difference in the weight 

 of this wood and greenheart, I subjoin the weight of four 

 rods weighed at Far)ow's : 



No. 1, 18 feet, greenheart ferruled . . . . 2 Ib. 10 oz. 

 No. 2, 19 feet, hickory but, and the rest green- 

 heart ferruled 2 Ib. 9 oz. 



No. 3, 19 feet, all greenheart ferruled . . . 3 Ib. 



No. 4, 20 feet, all greenheart, and spliced . . 2 Ib. 13 oz. 



So that a spliced rod is very little heavier than a ferruled 

 one two feet shorter ; while a hickory but makes a differ- 

 ence of one-sixth in the weight. 



And now for the reel and line. The winch should be 

 the common click or check winch. I like one to be 

 capable of holding 120 or 130 yards of line. Some people 

 think a little more than half that quantity sufficient. 

 Twice or three times in my life I should certainly have 

 been broken if I had not had more than a 100 yards, and 

 on each occasion I have been lucky enough to slay my 

 fish. I grant it does not happen once in a hundred times 



