Making and Using a Casting Rod 



I. — The kind of material, size 

 and fittings for a casting rod 



By Stillman Taylor 



A ROUGH-AND-READY fishing pole 

 may be quickly fashioned from 

 almost any pliable wood, but the 

 construction of a nicely balanced and 

 flexible casting rod requires careful work- 

 manship. No special skill is required, and 

 as only a few common tools are needed, any 

 boy of average ingenuity will be able to 

 make a first class one that even an expert 

 can use with satisfaction and which will 

 compare favorably with the better class 

 rods sold in the stores. A rod of this kind 

 is somewhat expensive to buy, but as labor 

 and retail profit represent almost two- 

 thirds of its actual cost, a really fine rod may 

 be built by the amateur at a comparatively 

 small cost. 



Tools and Materials 



The tools required are: a 4 or 5-in. 

 block plane, a 14-in. single-cut mill file, a 

 thin fine-tooth saw, a steel cabinet scraper, 

 a small oilstone to keep the plane iron 

 sharp and a few sheets of No. 1 and o 

 sandpaper. 



To obtain the proper taper to the rod, a 

 calipering tool of some kind is essential, for 

 this work cannot be done by eye or by 

 measuring with an ordinary rule. 



As the hand-made split bamboo rod 

 possesses the greatest strength and elas- 

 ticity with the least weight, it is regarded as 

 the standard. But this material is so 

 difficult to work, that only the more expert 

 amateurs can succeed in making a first 

 class rod of split bamboo. Different woods 

 are used in rod making, but expert anglers 

 prefer Bethabara, Greenheart, Dagama and 

 Lancewood. Bethabara makes a fine rod, 

 but it is hard to work; Greenheart is a fine 

 material, but good quality stock is difficult 

 to secure; Dagama possesses the strength 

 and elasticity of the above, has a straighter 

 grain, is free from knots, and does not warp 

 readily, hence is the best for the amateur. 

 Dagama stock in the square is easy to 

 obtain at moderate cost. Lancewood is 

 softer, full of small knots, and costs about 

 the same as Dagama. 



Specifications for a Casting Rod 



Length 5 ft., weight about 6^2 oz. 

 Handgrasp — cork. Rod tapered as fol- 

 lows: Butt Joint 24 in. long, tapering from 

 J 5/3 2 -' m - to 19/64 inch at ferrule; Tips 3 

 ft. long, tapering from 17/64 inch at 

 ferrule to 7/64 in. at tip; sections can be 

 made same length if desired but the longer 

 tip type is much better in action and makes 

 a stronger rod for the same weight. Ma- 

 terial — Dagama in square. Butt 2 ft. 

 long by % in. square. Tips 3 ft. long by 

 % in. square. 



Mountings 



I Shouldered and belted ferrule, 17/64 in. with 



closed end center for each tip. 

 1 Reel-seat, with straight hood, %-i n ch. 

 I Butt cap, i-in. 



1 Taper, small end 15/32-in. 



2 Offset angle casting tops, 3/32-in. (1 for each 



tip.) 

 4 Narrow casting guides, 3^ in- (2 for each tip.) 



3 Doz. cork washers, \Y% in. diameter, K-in. 



thick. 



Before commencing work, draw a dia- 

 gram giving the actual taper the full length 

 of the rod, as shown in Fig. 1, with the 

 cross stations spaced at 6-in. In a piece of 

 sheet zinc or brass, cut or file a series of 

 slots in one edge to correspond to the 

 diameters on the diagram, making the 

 slots perfectly square, as in Fig. 2. With 

 this gage check up the work. 



Before making an attempt to plane the 

 stick, run the plane along it to find out 

 which way the grain runs. Select one end 

 for the butt of the rod, and drill a couple of 

 small holes, about }/i-'m. from the ends, 

 making the second hole at right angles to 

 the first, as shown in Fig. 3. Drive a brad 

 or small finishing nail in one end of the 

 bench, and hook the stick over the head. 

 This holds the stick firmly so that it will 

 not slip about during the planing. 



Plane the stick on four sides, from end to 

 end, until it is ^-in. square. Set the plane 

 very fine, with the breaker-iron close to the 

 edge of the plane-iron, and ground as 

 sharp as possible. Draw cross lines on the 



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