312 AMATEUR TACKLE MAKING, ETC. 



the intended splice is to be decided upon, and pencil 

 marked on each of the detached pieces, then care 

 must betaken ere you ply the knife that the rings 

 will be in a direct line on the top when finished. 

 In order to get at this the cutting upon the one half 

 of the top must be directly opposite to the other, i.e., 

 if you pare away from the ring side of the one 

 broken and detached piece of the top, it is imperative 

 the corresponding paring should be made upon the 

 side opposite the rings. As soon as the detached parts 

 are fairly even, cut to fit, they should be rubbed 

 with fly-maker's wax ; finally, by means of a few 

 feet of strong twist, or a scrap of fine line, the splice 

 may be " whipped," or bound up, which is the better 

 accomplished when wound transversely, as by wrapping 

 rapidly from end to end greater security is allowed 

 for a temporary purpose. 



Perhaps the most deplorable accident that can 

 happen to a rod is a breakage where the ferrule joins 

 the wood. All the joints of a rod improperly fitted 

 at this point are liable to breakages when strained 

 more heavily than common, as we have elsewhere 

 pointed out. The only practical way of rendering 

 a rod again capable of casting for the remainder of 

 the day, in the case of an accident of this kind, is to 

 ignite a few dry twigs, and thus burn the wood from 

 the ferrule socket, which done, it may again be fitted 

 upon the joint, with small difficulty. Should the 

 ferrule be broken from the top of the butt, second 

 or in the case of a four part rod, the third joint, a 

 socket for the tongues of the next upper joint may be 



