74 SUPPLEMENT TO THE BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. 



upper, or smaller end of the butt-piece, more than one- 

 eighth of an inch ; that is, the inside diameter of the wind- 

 ing check must not be greater than one-half inch, where a 

 three-eighths ferrule is used on the smaller end. 



There are various ways of finishing the " grip " of the 

 handle, which may be formed of the same wood as the 

 handle, and smoothed and polished, presenting a very 

 beautiful appearance. Where it is desired to obtain a 

 firmer hold of the hand, it may be grooved with fine trans- 

 verse corrugations, or be fluted longitudinally. Another 

 method is to wrap the grip with cord, or strips of rattan ; 

 or the grip may be fashioned of hard rubber, and may be 

 smooth, or corrugated, or fluted. 



I saw, last year, in England, some fly-rods with the grip 

 covered with various materials, as pig-skin, cork, etc. ; 

 which were very ornamental and desirable, insuring light- 

 ness and a firm grip of the hand. 



NON-DOWELED JOINT. 



One of the specifications of the Henshall rod is that the 

 joints be made flush, with short, cylindrical ferrules, in- 

 stead of the old-fashioned tapered ferrule with dowel and 

 mortise ; and as so many of these rods have been sold dur- 

 ing the past ten or twelve years, it has had a great tendency 

 to introduce and popularize this form of joint, which is now 

 also applied to most fly-rods to their great advantage. 



It is now thirty years since I made my first rod with 

 flush joints, having, at that time never heard of or seen a 

 rod joint without dowels; and ever since I have been a 

 firm believer in this improved joint. If there were want- 

 ing any proof of the practical superiority of the non-dowel 

 joint over the dowel and mortise joint, it would be found 



