THE " KELSON " ROD. 285 



faults in character of the original. They are said to be instantly 

 recognised by the Angler who adopts only the " Overhand." 



That the failures of certain Anglers to secure with the Shannon rod 

 all they want argues nothing against its several virtues, but only 

 emphasises the need and the inducement that struck me for making an 

 effort towards the prospective amelioration of their lot. The " Kelson " 

 rod was not introduced into use hurriedly, for in doing my utmost to 

 discover what kind of rod would best execute all the casts with the 

 minimum of exertion and the maximum results, I made various ex- 

 periments with many other types differing in circumference as much as 

 1716th of an inch. In those experiments lines of different degrees of 

 weight were used. The outcome is that the ordinary Castle Council 

 famed chiefly for Side casting, Spey casting, and for holding heavy fish 

 without fear has been modified in a marked degree by being built some- 

 what stouter in the butt on such a scale as to considerably improve the 

 action for all-round fishing with ease and comfort. The holding qualities 

 are not perceptibly interfered with. The taper, be it noted, falls off not 

 nearly so rapidly as in the old Trouty rod, and only slightly quicker than 

 in the parent. 



Any further stiffness in the butt, produced by a yet increased 

 allowance of material than that given in the modification would defeat the 

 whole object in view. On the whole, the Shannon rods may be summed 

 up in the familiar formula of "As you were," for they always fulfil the 

 expectations of their most sanguine supporters. 



As to particular deviations from what I judge to be the best all-round 

 rod, I may instance, as instructive, the " Traherne " pattern. This 

 particular style of rod is decidedly stouter in the butt, and is more widely 

 known at present than my own. The " Traherne," in the hands of 

 Major Traherne, calls for no praise whatever here. It is sufficiently 

 recommended in the Badminton Library, which tells us that the author 

 of the Habits of the Salmon himself made an Overhand cast with it of no 

 less than 45 yards 1 inch. But were I asked to pronounce an opinion on 

 its merits, all the praise the rod would get from me would be conveyed 

 in a very few words, viz. That all Anglers who invariably adopt the 

 "Overhand" should not be without it, for the simple reason that on 



