Rods and Rod Material. 177 



highly extolled its merits; and unquestionably it is one 

 of the best of native woods for our purpose. But it 

 must be selected, and cut as directed under the head of 

 "Hickory," or it will be worthless. I have some iron- 

 wood cut fourteen years ago, and then sawn into strips 

 about one-third of an inch square. It was felled in June, 

 otherwise the conditions were all followed, and to this 

 day it is not fit to put in a rod. 



The tree is small, eight or nine inches being the limit 

 of its diameter, and apt to be crooked and knotty. But 

 with patience, material fit for rods can be found almost 

 anywhere in the country. 



Ironwood is very strong, not over heavy, and at its 

 best is sufficiently elastic; and if really choice, will pro- 

 duce an excellent rod when combined with lancewood, 

 or, better still, split-bamboo tips. But if in craving after 

 lightness, as is now the fashion, you are niggardly in 

 material, your rod will be slow and withy, and lack that 

 nervous promptness of action without which a fly-rod is 

 like a counterfeit five-dollar bill. It will not bear to be 

 reduced to the calibre of lancewood, greenheart, or beth- 

 abara. 



It breaks with a long splintering fracture. This can 

 be taken advantage of, and its strength and elasticity 

 greatly improved by the following method of manu- 

 facture : Color one end of the stick, for which purpose 

 ink will answer ; then saw it into four strips about a 

 quarter of an inch square. Plane them up and glue them 

 in pairs, so the ends will appear thus : 

 then face up the side, a, of both pairs 

 \ d and glue them together in the way rep- 

 resented in Fig. 32. Straighten them Fig ' 31 ' 

 while the glue is warm, when they will bend 



