THE SPLIT BAMBOO ROD 145 



than any other sort of rod, and are far less 

 liable to warping. I have a high opinion of 

 their elasticity, and Mr. Bowness, fishing tackle 

 maker of 12 Bellyard, Temple Bar, showed 

 me once a trout fly rod made in this, my fa- 

 vorite way, that had been for many years in 

 use and was still straight as a wand. I never 

 saw a better single-handed rod." 



Fitzgibbon underwent a change of heart 

 within a year, however, for in the 1848 edition 

 of his book he says: 



" I have changed my opinion with respect to 

 rods made entirely of rent cane, or any other 

 wood rent. Their defects will always more 

 than counterbalance their merits." 



William Blacker said, in his " Fly Making 

 and Angling," London, 1855, page 82: 



" The rent and glued-up bamboo cane rods, 

 which I turn out to the greatest perfection, are 

 very valuable, as they are very light and power- 

 ful, and throw the line with great facility." 



In the edition of Walton's " Compleat An- 

 gler," edited by Edward Jesse and published 

 in London in 1856 by Henry G. Boehn, the 

 following paragraph appears: 



" The split or glued-up rod is difficult to 

 make well, and expensive. It is made of three 



