110 AMATEUR RODMAKING 



the middle joint and the center of the butt fer- 

 rule on the other end. 



The wood of the butt joint will be 21^2 

 inches long, as the ferrule adds i% inches^ to 

 its total length, 22% inches. Taper it from 

 15-32 at the pencil mark, indicating the upper 

 end of the handgrasp, to 11-32, to fit the cap 

 of the ferrule, which is 21-64 at the small end. 



You are now ready for the handgrasp, the 

 various forms of which are described in pre- 

 ceding chapters. Careful testing is necessary 

 before this rod can be finished, for different 

 pieces of wood vary considerably, and it is sel- 

 dom one can make all the tapers just what he 

 expects to. The two lower joints may need 

 fining down until the action suits you, and in 

 some rods I have substituted 19-64 for the 

 2i-64-inch lower ferrule, making a hollow 

 taper from handgrasp forward a few inches, 

 then uniform taper to the first ferrule. 



If the rod is to be six feet long, which will 

 make it much sweeter for fishing and accuracy 

 casting its three joints considered the fer- 

 rules should be 15-64 and 21-64. One of m 7 

 favorite bethabara rods is 5 feet 10^ inches 

 long and it is a very pleasant rod to fish with. 

 Its ferrules and calibers are the same as those 

 given above. 



