80 



FISHING EODS AND FLY FISHING. 



For a trout rod, to have a good balance 

 from the butt to the extreme top, it is es- 

 sentially necessary that the wood should be 

 well-seasoned, straight in the grain, and free 

 from knots and imperfections. It should con- 

 sist of three or four joints, according to fancy. 

 There is not the least occasion for a rod to be 

 glued up in pieces first, and then cut into 

 lengths and fitted with ferrules, for then you 

 have the unnecessary trouble of lapping the 

 splices, but it is best to clean each piece sepa- 

 rately, and measure the exact taper each piece 

 should be to one another with the ferrules to 

 fit in the same proportion, the least thing wider 

 at the lower end than at the top ; the ends to 

 be bored for tlie tongues to fit into tightly to 

 prevent shaking, that when they are double 

 brazed they may fit air-tight. 



The ends must be bored previous to planing 

 down the substance of the pieces, and tied 

 round with waxed thread to prevent them 

 from opening or cracking, so that tliese 

 pieces may be pushed into each end of the 



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