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well-seasoned hickory, without crack or flaw; 

 the tops to be made of the best yellow bamboo 

 cane, either rent and glued up in three pieces, 

 or spliced in short lengths with the knots cut 

 away; the first joint to be nearly as stout as 

 the substance of the wood above the ferrule as 

 the end of the butt for a foot and a half, to 

 prevent the rod being limber in the middle; 

 the next joint that holds the top should be 

 very smart, and come up at a touch when bent 

 with the hand, and the extreme hghtness of 

 the cane top prevents all appearance of its 

 being top-heavy, which cannot be prevented 

 with lance-wood, unless it is made very fine 

 indeed, and then it becomes useless. The 

 length of the rod should not exceed seventeen 

 or, eighteen feet long, and for light rivers, six- 

 teen feet is quite long enough ; if the angler 

 fly fishes for salmon from a boat, fourteen feet 

 will be sufficient, made, of course, very powerful 

 throughout, as in some large rivers a salmon 

 will take the fly close to the boat in strong and 

 deep streams. The rings should be pretty 

 large, to admit of the line running freely, and 

 the joints double brazed, which prevents the 

 bare wood of the tongues twisting off when 



W^- 



