FERRULES AND FITTINGS 13 



trouble and attribute it to the above-mentioned cause. 

 It should be remedied without delay, or it will spread 

 rapidly, to the detriment of the rod. 



The plainest type of joint is the suction pattern, 

 usually fitted with small " hitches " in order that the 

 joints can be tied together and so prevent throwing 

 out. But the waterproof cap suction joint is now very 

 popular, for besides keeping the rain out of the joints 

 the overlapping cap increases the suction grip. An 

 accurately fitting joint of this type is almost as useful 

 as the locking pattern. 



The types of lock joints introduced have been many 

 and various, but most of them have had a short life. 

 The outstanding pattern is the " Universal " or 

 " Bayonet " and " Standard " fitting, consisting of a 

 small projection on the male ferrule, which engages 

 with a slot in the top of the female ferrule, either by 

 a spiral turn or by a straight thrust and then a turning 

 movement. 



Perhaps the most popular joint is the "Spiral" or 

 " Perfect " joint, the principle of which is a projecting 

 tongue brazed on the counter-ferrule, which engages 

 with an external spiral worm or thread on the female 

 ferrule. Anglers should be warned against patterns 

 of lock joints having internal screw threads or lock- 

 ing attachments that are not easily accessible and 

 therefore cannot be cleaned or kept free from 

 corrosion. 



No matter what the ferrule or for what type of 

 fishing the rod will be used, the angler should make 

 sure that the joints are secure. The writer has very 

 vivid recollection of his first boyhood fishing experi- 

 ence when he borrowed an old-fashioned four-jointed 

 rod in order to try his hand on a small perch pond. 



