FINE AND FAR-OFF FISHING 135 



quired a more or less decided "set" may properly be 

 noted. The set may be the result of 

 The Way strain or warp, the first due to over- 

 -p, , burdening the rod in some way and the 

 last to poor material in which case a 

 permanent cure can hardly be effected or to negli- 

 gence. This is a case where an ounce of prevention is 

 sometimes worth six ounces of good fly-rod, and before 

 noting the method of correction it might be well to set 

 down a few golden rules about the way not to use a 

 fly-rod. 



In the first place since the fly-rod forms our subject 

 although most of these suggestions are equally applicable 

 to fishing rods in general it should be said that the 

 split-cane rod is peculiarly, often fatally, susceptible to 

 dampness, and that consequently every precaution 

 should be taken in this regard. In camp it should be 

 taken down and put in the case over-night and cer- 

 tainly should never be left lying on the ground for any 

 length of time. It is quite possible to put a fine split- 

 bamboo fly-rod temporarily or even permanently out of 

 commission by allowing it to lie out over-night on the 

 ground. Again, to avoid warp, the rod when assembled 

 should never be leaned against a support in such a 

 manner as to bend it. If left for a sufficient length of 

 time, not necessarily a very long time, leaning in this 

 way the bend will become permanent. Similarly, when 

 the rod is unjointed, the individual joints should not 

 be leaned against a support in the manner noted, for 

 the same reason. 



The remedy and the method of prevention for warp 



