MOUNTING AND FINISHING 59 



agate top and an agate guide nearest the reel, 

 with one-ring German silver guides for the bal- 

 ance of the set. There was a time when it was 

 believed that large guides and tops were best, 

 but it is now conceded that guides and tops of 

 a caliber of 5-16 inch are large enough, safer, 

 and neater. There can be no question that 

 large, heavy guides affect the action of the 

 rod. The agate guide shown in Fig. 19 and 

 the one-ring German silver guide pictured in 

 Fig. 20 have proved as good as any so far 



Fig. 22. Hard Steel Snake Guide for Fly-rod. 



used. They are light, strong, and efficient. 

 The caliber of both is 5-16 inch. 



By all means employ an agate offset top 

 made like that shown in Fig. 21. In this there 

 is a wire extending from the tube to the bot- 

 tom of the metal ring holding the agate, while 

 the two side wires prevent the line from 

 catching around the top, and strengthen it. 

 The tube may be tapered or cylindrical. 



For fly-rods the best guides are of hard steel, 

 snake form, as shown in Fig. 22. These can 

 be had in various sizes in the trade. In Fig. 

 23 a steel top for fly-rods is shown. In this 



