THE ROD FOR FLY-FISHING. 171 



The ROD, REEL, and LINE should be well adapted 

 to act perfectly and in concert with each other. We 

 have already pointed out the inconvenience and dis- 

 aster arising from the common practice of employ- 

 ing implements totally incapable of working together 

 evenly. The intending purchaser most frequently 

 considers what is the strength, length, or thickness of 

 line required for some specified water or fish, and not 

 for a particular rod. The rod forms the first subject 

 for attention ; the winch, or reel and line being next 

 chosen, with a view to the harmonious working of the 

 whole, the reel to balance and the line to suit the 

 " play " of the tool. This is of the most vital 

 importance. Fly-rods are made of many different 

 woods and dimensions. It is a noteworthy fact, 

 however, that during the two centuries that have 

 elapsed since Cotton first wrote upon what afterwards 

 developed into the most artistic and scientific branch 

 of angling, the length of the fly-rod has diminished 

 by more than one-half. Notwithstanding this dimi- 

 nution of size, and we may also add of weight, the 

 casting powers of the rodster have been so much 

 augmented, that almost double the distance may now 

 be neatly covered by the adult adept than was 

 effected with the unwieldy weapons of our forefathers. 

 The propelling power of the fly-rod depends largely 

 upon the material of which it is constructed. The 

 fine-grained woods of the tropics exceed our own in 

 point of strength, durability, and weight-sustaining 

 powers. 



The following are the materials and dimensions of 



