18 TIIE AKT OF FISHING. 



CHAPTER V. 



UPON THE CHOICE OF YOUR ANGLE EOD, AVHETHER FOR COMMON 

 ANGLING, OK FLY-FISHING, OR SNAPPING, OR TROLLING. 



THE fishing-rod, of course, must be adapted to 

 the style of fishing you are going to follow, as to 

 whether it be what is called common angling, or 

 fly-fishing, or trolling, or snapping. These rods 

 should all vary, with this exception that you 

 might troll with a snapping rod, but not snap 

 with a trolling rod ; and for this obvious reason, 

 the latter would be too stiff and clumsy, and your 

 fish would escape from want of that spring and 

 elasticity required in the rod to make the hook 

 penetrate the jaw of the fish when you strike him, 

 a circumstance which has often occurred to me, 

 and which has been followed by the loss of many 

 a good fish ; and, besides, the strike should be in- 

 stantaneous with the biting, which, with a stiff 

 rod (as trolling rods generally are), would not be 

 the case ; in consequence the fish escapes. Your 

 common angle rod is the least difficult to select, 



