212 AMATEUR RODMAKING 



so far as may be possible. On tarpon, heavy 

 salt water and trolling rods, on salmon rods 

 and on the butt joints of heavy fly-rods size 

 A is the proper thing. It is the commercial 

 size that can be obtained anywhere. Size O 

 is suitable for joints, size OO for tips of most 

 rods, and for light fly-rods. One reason for 

 this is that on tips the heavier silk is likely to 

 be cut through by the line as it shoots through 

 the guides in casting the fly, whereas the finer 

 silk windings may be unaffected. On tourna- 

 ment fly-rods, when the line is coiled on a 

 platform that is covered with grit, it is not 

 unusual to see the windings of tips cut through 

 as if with a dull knife. 



Smaller silk than A is difficult to obtain of 

 the retail trade, but there is a way to so 

 utilize A silk that it will answer every require- 

 ment, with a lasting supply always at hand in 

 the nearest dry goods store. This method 

 follows : 



Having selected the colors desired, wind 

 the guides and ferrules if the latter are split 

 or serrated with size A. If the ferrule and 

 guide windings are to have borders of another 

 color, leave these until the last thing. Take 

 a spool of A and cut off a piece a foot long 

 and rub this carefully with wax, which must 

 be colorless and free from foreign matter that 



