200 THE BRITISH ANGLER'S LEXICON. 



down by plane or file until they do. Perhaps a better plan 

 is to fasten one end of a line to the extreme point, and 

 either have a person to hold the other end or fasten it to a 

 nail in the floor ; then bend the rod as if a heavy fish was 

 on it, and -observe the curve carefully ; it should be a 

 graceful one from butt to tip. The reel fittings now 7 may 

 be temporarily fixed, also the butt cap, either with or 

 without a spike ; and, having attached the reel, with the 

 line on, get the balance (q.v.) of the rod. This in a twelve 

 foot rod should be about two feet above the reel, which 

 latter is supposed to be as close to the butt end as the 

 fittings will permit. When all these particulars have been 

 carried out, the counters should be carefully marked in 

 their places, and that portion of the wood upon which they 

 have been fitted should have a thin coating of fish glue, or 

 Russian cement as it is sometimes called, a few fibres of 

 tow being twisted over the surface of the glue. The 

 counters are now driven home to their places, taking care 

 in the operation not to bruise the brasses or injure them in 

 any way These counters are now drilled, and brass pins 

 with counter-sunk heads driven right through; the pins 

 neatly hammered and filed off smooth, so as to render them 

 invisible or nearly so. Some makers fit their joints very 

 accurately, and do not use pins ; but in time the wood 

 shrinks a little, and unless pinned they are liable to get 

 loose and give bother. After the rod is jointed it may be 

 sand-papered, when it is ready for the stain, which may be 

 according to fancy generally of a dark colour recipes 

 for which are given under the heading " Stains. J) It is next 

 allowed to dry, washed to remove loose particles of the dye, 

 and dried again by air alone, It is then French polished, 

 after being slightly sand-papered and boned to lay the fibre 



