134 THE FINE ART OF FISHING 



If the rod is too stiff there is only one thing to do 

 unless you are an expert rod maker, and barring a trip 

 to the professional rod repairer, and that 

 P j 1 i s: Use a heavy line. The chances are 

 that if the rod does not weigh over five 

 ounces a level line, size E, will bring out all the action 

 desirable, while a line of size F or G may fail entirely 

 to do so. The suitability of the line to the rod upon 

 which it is used is a matter which many anglers do not 

 sufficiently consider. To state the extreme, the fly-cas- 

 ter who uses on a three-and-a-half-ounce fly-rod a line 

 of size E and the caster who uses on a ten-foot seven- 

 ounce rod a line of size G will find that good casting 

 with such ill-assorted tackle is impossible. 



A heavy line is too burdensome for the featherweight 

 fly-rod; in fact, if the angler is inclined to be heavy- 

 handed, it is quite possible for him to smash the rod by 

 attempting to use a too heavy line upon it. Similarly, 

 a fairly long cast, using a very light line on a compara- 

 tively heavy rod, is not possible ; the line must have 

 sufficient weight to carry it through the air in response 

 to force of the cast. But in the case of a very stiff rod, 

 the weight of a heavy line will produce much more snap 

 and bend in the rod, and although the combination 

 makes the work rather strenuous, still it is very efficient. 

 It is hardly necessary to state that such an outfit would, 

 however, be very poorly adapted to small stream work. 



The repair of smashed rods does not properly come 

 under the subject we are discussing it is fairly obvious 

 that any smashed rod, when repaired, is considerably 

 improved but the best way to cure a rod that has ao 



