38 FISHING KITS AND EQUIPMENT 



reel-seat. Its only advantage is that it makes the rod 

 a little lighter. 



The guides ordinarily used on fly-rods are of two 

 kinds, rings-and-keepers, and English snake guides. 



Of the two, snake guides are very much 

 Guides. the best Not only does the 1{ne ren( j er 



more freely through them but they are much stronger 



and less liable to become 

 bent than the ring guides; 



I. 2. and they facilitate " string- 



1. ORDINARY TIP-GUIDE. . A , , 



ing up the rod very ma- 



2. AGATE TIP-GUIDE. . , . . , 



tenally. Snake guides of 



German silver are rather soft and the continued action 

 of the line through them soon produces grooves. This 

 is particularly the case with the hand- 

 guide the guide next the reel and 

 the top guide. For this reason steel 

 guides are the better. As an aid to 



casting and for the purpose of saving 2. 



,. . . . . . i. RING- AND- 



hne-wear it is a good plan to have the KEEPER GUIDE. 



rod fitted with an agate hand-guide 2 . ENGLISH 

 and agate top. If the rod is thus SNAKE GUIDE - 

 fitted German silver will do for the rest of the guides. 

 Agates cost from $0.75 to $1.00 each. 



The rod should be wound at in- 

 tervals of not more than an inch 

 NARROW AGATE an d a half at any part, and much 

 GUIDE. closer than that toward the tip- 



end. Windings of some shade of red are very satis- 



