THE BRITISH ANGLER'S LEXICON. 197 



Rod Fitting's include winch rings, ferrules, rod rings 

 and keepers, rod end r'ngs, and butt caps and buttons. 



Rod Making is a very interesting business or pro- 

 fession, and is now brought to great perfection. It is an 

 advantage if the rod maker is somewhat of an angler ; 

 as that will materially assist his mechanical knowledge, 

 for theory and practice go hand in hand. There are four 

 principles in rod making which are essential strength, 

 lightness, elasticity, and balance and when these are 

 combined the rod must be perfect. There are so many 

 different tastes to be catered for that the rod maker must 

 of necessity have a large stock all sorts, shapes, and 

 sizes. The woods used in rod making are ash, hickory, 

 greenheart, lancewood, blue mahoe, and washaba, besides 

 several sorts of canes and bamboos. These woods, with 

 the exception of ash, are mostly the growths of foreign 

 countries. They come in balks or logs, and are then 

 sawn up into planks nine inches by three a good use- 

 ful length is six feet six inches which serve to work 

 up into rods nine, twelve, fifteen, and eighteen feet 

 long ; the six inches over allows for end shakes and 

 helps to work out twists, &c. These planks should be 

 permitted to season in this state for two years at least 

 longer if possible. Then they may be sawn up into 

 scantlings suitable for butts, middles, and top pieces. The 

 seasoning should be carried on in a dry, airy shed or loft, 

 where neither sun nor damp can penetrate. Greenheart, 

 which is the most universally-used wood now for rods, 

 especially for fly rods, is of so oily and dense a nature 

 that it requires several years' seasoning before it is fit 

 for use. All the woods chosen should be of perfectly 



