THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 235 



fastened to the butt, at some distance from its base, cross-wise. On this 

 stick the line may be wound, just as boys when kite-flying wind their 

 strings; and it may be uncoiled by hand when playing a fish, or wanting 

 more, but not with sufficient rapidity or ease. The best London winches 

 and to metropolitan made ones I give the preference are manufac- 

 tured by Fairservice. I am opposed to multiplying-winches, and prefer 

 to all others a plain, somewhat stiff check one, particularly for salmon- 

 fishing. I like to hear the pleasant rattle of its checks, as the fish rattles 

 away, and its stiffness is of great service in keeping the line taut as you 

 play a fish. The clicking, by its frequency or otherwise, tells you at 

 what pace your fish is going, and gives you a notion when you should 

 follow him, or attempt to stop him, to bear upon him, and to work him 

 towards land. Reels of free check, or click, should be used for pike- 

 fishing, and for all fish that run to their lairs to pouch their baits. In 

 their run to do so they should nofc meet with any impediment from a taut 

 or partly taut line, but should be able to swim away with loosened reins. 



Of the making and material of rods, Father Walton says nothing, 

 and his instructions about painting them should not be followed. Rods 

 are not now painted. They are stained and washed with varnish. I 

 shall name the lengths which rods for different sorts of fishing should 

 respectively reach, the material they should be made of, and a few of 

 their component qualities. 



A single-handed ily-rod for trout and grayling should be made with 

 great care, and of the best and longest seasoned wood. It should vary 

 from ten to twelve-and-a-half feet in length. The shorter rod for narrow, 

 bright rivers, as it carries fine tackle best, and can be worked with more 

 ease, and consequently make neater and lighter casts ; the longer rod is 

 suited for broad and deep trout streams, where stout tackle and large 

 flies are necessary ; where the angler must throw the long line, and 

 where he will have to cope with large fish. Indeed, with a well-balanced 

 twelve-foot-and-a-half fly-rod, made of elastic and well-seasoned wood, 

 a proficient can throw the lightest as well as the heaviest line. It is the 

 rod 1 would recommend to the adult angling adept. A fly -rod of eleven 

 feet has the average length, and will not inconveniently suit young and 

 old, and moderately weak and strong hands. Fly -rods should be made 

 of the following materials best grained and long-seasoned ash for butts, 

 thick and small pieces (second and third joints) best hickory, tops a foot 

 of lance-wood, and thence to the extreme points bamboo cane. If one 

 piece of the rod be made of newer, that is, less seasoned wood than the 

 others, there will be too much dead play in that piece, and the rod will 

 therefore want balance and be defective. If the pieces, particularly the 

 small and the top pieces, do not taper justly, or be heavier or weaker 

 in undue proportion than the thick piece and butt, then the rod will be 

 " top-heavy," and good for nothing. The fittings of each piece should 

 be most carefully adapted the ferules smoothly polished on the inside, 

 and the tongues and shoulders should be most carefully brased. A first- 

 rate trout fly-rod cannot be bought for less than a guinea and a half. 



The grilse fly-rod should be sixteen feet in length, the salmon rod 

 eighteen, and in rare cases, for very tall and strong men, and for great 



