110 TROUT FISHING 



CHAPTER V. 



FOE fly-fishing, on small rapid streams, the best 

 description of rod I have used is made in this 

 way : butt, of white or silvery spruce fir, light, 

 well-seasoned, and strong; there must on no ac- 

 count be any flaw in the wood, or irregularity in 

 the grain ; the thicker part of the rod to be so 

 large as the hand can grasp, or so big that the 

 fore-finger and thumb can scarce span it second 

 part, lancewood, very light and elastic top, made 

 of best split cane, with a few inches of lancewood 

 at its lower end. Entire length of rod, twelve 

 feet ; the butt, longer by an inch or two than the 

 second part, the 'latter as much longer than the 

 top. The splices in the cane to be so struck that, 

 when the rod is put together, the extreme point 

 of the rod will cock up a little. This is a very 

 commanding rod, and extremely serviceable for 

 fly, beetle, worm, minnow, or any other kind of 

 fishing on small streams ; but for finer work, with 

 the artificial fly alone, I prefer a rod of ten feet 

 only certainly not more than eleven feet in 

 length butt, light spruce fir second part, en- 

 tirely of split cane, though in this a few inches of 



