WOODS FOR ROD-MAKING. 307 



purpose during the eight or ten days intervening the 

 arrival of a supply of Limericks. 



We purpose, firstly, to give simple directions for 

 amateur rod-making, to be followed by a few brief 

 suggestions as to repairs, temporarily or otherwise ; 

 secondly, to deal briefly with cast and flight 

 constructing, hook mounting, etc. Re rod, the size 

 and dimensions are first to be decided upon ; this 

 settled, the wood must be chosen to suit the particular 

 description of rod desired. 



For fly fishing, the material of which a rod is 

 composed is of the greatest possible importance. 

 The scope for selection, too, is so extensive as to 

 be perplexing to the inexperienced. Each clime and 

 country contributes woods of a specific class. Some 

 are so compact in substance, and fine in grain, as to 

 be equal to metal, both as regards weight and solidity. 

 Others, again, are porous, and open-grained, light and 

 lithesome, and are talkative, so to speak, when handled ; 

 indeed, it is an infallible rule that if a dry scrap of 

 timber sounds in echo to the friction of the fingers, 

 or when struck lightly with some hard substance, it 

 is unstable, and is unworthy for any particular 

 purpose. There is a happy medium, however, to 

 all this. Outside the tropics, and yet within the 

 influence of a genial sun and climate, there are many 

 varieties of woods that, whilst being slightly porous, 

 yet retain so much strength as to be tough and stiff, 

 pliant, and comparatively light. The best of such 

 are greenheart (Australian), washaba, snakewood, 

 blue mahce, red locust, partridge wood, white hickory. 



