MOUNTING AND FINISHING 55 



length of metal in the rod, and if it is to be 

 quite willowy, they are excellent for the pur- 

 pose. Specify either " welted straight fer- 

 rules " or " welted short straight ferrules " in 

 ordering, but in either case add " capped 

 closed-end centers." The use of straight cen- 

 ters will spoil the taper at the joint. 



Dowels should be avoided by beginners. 

 The plain ferrules have, through long use, 

 been proved fully equal and in the opinion 

 of most anglers, actually superior to dow- 

 eled ferrules, even for heavy salt water and 

 salmon rods. In this opinion I do not concur 

 with respect to very heavy rods, in which there 

 is abundant space for the dowel without weak- 

 ening the wood at all. For small caliber rods, 

 however, the dowel has no advantage over the 

 plain ferrule. Few amateurs can hope to 

 properly fit doweled ferrules to a rod, the ef- 

 fect being rather to weaken than to strengthen 

 it. The intricate parts of the old-fashioned 

 doweled ferrules may be seen in Fig. 15. 



Every ferrule should be fitted with a metal 

 plug, to keep out the dust while it is in its 

 case. 



Waterproof ferrules are well worth their 

 slight extra cost. In these a metal disc is 

 brazed or soldered in the ferrule, to prevent 



