298 Fhf^rods <wd Fly-tackle. 



NOVICE. No, I have nothing of the kind, I am sorry 

 to say. 



ANGLER. It will make no difference, for I have them. 

 And since you say you are a beginner, I will repair this 

 accident for you, and at the same time give you a few 

 hints which may be of value in the future. 



NOVICE. I shall be very much obliged if you will be 

 so kind. 



ANGLER. It is, or should always be, a pleasure for one 

 angler to help another ; so look and listen, and if there 

 is anything you do not understand stop me at once. But 

 first I would say, never go on a stream again without 

 plenty of silk, of the sizes known in the stores as A 

 or B> in your fly-book, together with a little cobbler's 

 wax flattened out between the folds of a piece of an 

 old kid-glove. A quantity of wax which, if spherical, 

 would measure half an inch in diameter is about the 

 thing. Also you should have a flat file of rather coarse 

 cut, and with the blade from five to six inches long and 

 from one -half to three-quarters of an inch wide, like 

 this. You see the tang is broken off the file, and thus 

 shortened I can carry it in my fly-book, and never know 

 it is there till I need it for use. 



Now see ; I take my pocket-knife, and cut a long slope 

 on each of the broken ends, being careful to make them 

 incline in different ways, and of such slope that when 

 they are laid together the rod will not be larger than 

 before. I also see to it that the splice is so situated, that 

 the rings on the two pieces will be in line when they 

 are united. There, I have finished cutting, and yon see 

 when I place the pieces together the rings are in line ; 

 but you also notice that the joint is not a very good fit, 

 Now we will resort to the file. You notice that I lay 



