FERRULES AND FITTINGS 15 



After an afternoon's fishing he came away with the 

 butt joint only; the remaining joints were sticking 

 point downwards in the middle of the pond. The last 

 bit of the joint next the butt could be seen standing 

 out clear of the water, alas! out of reach though 

 tantalisingly near. 



The reel fittings on most rods are satisfactory and 

 adapted to their requirements. But for light-bait 

 casting and various branches of spinning, and on 

 some bottom rods, movable fittings on a parallel grip 

 are of very great advantage, as the reel can be moved 

 to a required position above or below the hand and 

 can be adjusted to suit the balance of the rod on 

 the wrist. The strength of the reel fitting must be 

 governed by the weight of the reel it is required to 

 carry. When a heavy 5 or 6 inch reel is used, it is no 

 use relying on four small screws to hold the reel in 

 position. Screw-grip reel fittings, having the reel 

 band moving on a screw thread, are well adapted for 

 sea fishing from a boat, as the reel band cannot work 

 loose and the danger of losing the reel at a critical 

 moment is averted. 



Most rods are fitted with cork handles, as cork has 

 been found to give the best grip when dry or wet, 

 and does not raise blisters on the hands in a long 

 da/s fishing. The cork may consist of sheet cork, 

 cemented on the handle, which is the commonest type, 

 and is quite satisfactory; unless the rod is put away 

 in a wet cloth cover, when the cork sometimes peels 

 off. Or, in the case of sea rods, the spray sometimes 

 gets beneath the cork after long exposure. For that 

 reason a cord-bound handle is most durable for sea 

 fishing. Solid cork handles are fitted to lightweight 

 rods and to fly rods, in which it is desirable that the 



