28 FLOATING FLIES 



the English fly-fisherman, is nine and a half 

 feet in length with a weight of nine and a half 

 ounces. An American split-bamboo fly-rod of 

 this length would not, at the utmost, weigh over 

 six ounces. Moreover, this proportion of 

 weight to length except in rods called " feath- 

 erweights " is maintained throughout the 

 general run of English split-cane fly-rods in com- 

 mon use. 



The American fly-caster for trout need not 

 concern himself other than theoretically, as a 

 matter of general angling information, with 

 octagonal, double-built, or steel-centered split- 

 cane rods. Eight-strip rods are commonly pro- 

 duced in this country at a considerably higher 

 figure than the rod of six strips but it is gen- 

 erally and wholly agreed among those who 

 know that there is nothing to recommend the 

 octagonal over the hexagonal rod. The double- 

 built rod a rod in which each triangular strip 

 of cane, as finally ready for completing the 

 rod, is composed of two strips cemented to- 

 gether, superimposed, thus having two thick- 

 nesses of the hard outer enamel is undoubt- 

 edly desirable where great strength is impera- 

 tive, but hardly requisite for the trout fly-rod. 

 Practically the same may be said of the steel- 

 centered rod. Double-built rods are not made 



