FISHING ROD MATERIALS 39 



light, stiff, and elastic, breaks with a long, splin- 

 tering fracture, somewhat like hickory, is easy 

 to work with or across the grain, and may be 

 highly polished. Ferrules slightly larger than 

 those used on bethabara will answer. 



It has been said that dagama is at its best in 

 a moist climate, and is therefore peculiarly 

 adapted to use on salt water; that it becomes 

 somewhat " brash" in dry climates, like hick- 

 ory. I regret that my personal experience with 

 the wood is confined to regions near the sea 

 level, and that I cannot affirm or deny this 

 statement. Hickory, I know, although exceed- 

 ingly tough and resilient as a rule, failed com- 

 pletely when used for the long whip stocks of 

 the old-time stage coach and army ambulance 

 drivers in the dry regions of the Southwest. 

 Although soaked with oil, they were totally un- 

 reliable after drying out, and would snap short 

 off like reeds. Bait-casting rods are not used 

 in such dry regions as a rule, but along the 

 Pacific coast, it seems, bethabara gives better 

 satisfaction than either greenheart or dagama. 

 The best fishing is in the dry season there. 



The late Henry P. Wells was one of the first 

 angling writers to mention dagama, and he 

 praised it very highly, both in the first edition 

 of his " Fly-Rods and Fly Tackle," which was 



