CLEANING AND VARNISHING 35 



Follow with chamois skin or an old silk 

 handkerchief, rubbing briskly, but very lightly, 

 working backward and forward rapidly to 

 avoid heating the varnish through friction. 



When the rod is perfectly dry examine 

 it in several places with a microscope. If the 

 varnish is cracked, as it may be after several 

 seasons' use, covering this old varnish with a 

 fresh coat is scarcely to be recommended, when 

 the obvious need is to scrape the rod, rewind, 

 and varnish afresh; but if the varnish is in fair 

 condition, give the rod a new coating. For this 

 purpose buy a three-quarter-inch oval camel- 

 hair brush and a small can of extra light coach 

 varnish. The dealers supply this or equally 

 good rod varnish in small bottles. Do not 

 let anyone persuade you to use shellac. 



Before varnishing, leave the rod in a warm 

 room until it is in condition to insure the var- 

 nish taking hold, and at the same time put the 

 varnish bottle in a pan of warm water. Coach 

 varnish is quite thick and somewhat gummy. 

 Warming it softens the gum it carries, and 

 makes it flow and set nicely, insuring a more 

 brilliant coating than is possible if it is used 

 cold. Cold varnish may contain minute lumps 

 of gum that amalgamate with the oil when 

 warmed; therefore, use warm varnish. 



