THE FLY BOD 29 



in this country. Only one firm of rod-makers 

 produces a steel-centered rod. 



To the experienced fly-fisherman the impos- 

 sibility of such a thing as an " all-round " fly- 

 rod is constantly more apparent. No one rod 

 can, in trie very nature of things, prove thor- 

 oughly adapted to the variety of trout streams 

 whipped by the angler even within a restricted 

 territory. Angling conditions vary consider- 

 ably with each stream; upon one water a rod 

 of four ounces, or even less, eight feet in length 

 is exactly the thing; for another stream the wise 

 angler would rightly select a ten-foot rod of 



: six ounces or thereabouts. 



In view of this it is scarcely possible for one 

 to recommend any particular length or weight 



of rod as being the most satisfactory and effi- 

 cient. For small trout in small streams only 

 the lightest tackle should be used for fly-fishing, 

 either wet or dry. But, particularly with ref- 

 erence to casting the dry fly, it may be said that 

 a fly-rod of from nine and a half to ten feet is 



1 the most desirable for streams of average size. 



. While it is seldom necessary for the dry fly 

 caster to cast any great distance, it is only in 

 the longer rods that really good casting power 

 can be obtained; and casting power, in view of 

 the preferable use of a somewhat heavy tapered 



