HICKORY BETTER THAN LANCE WOOD. 281 



and more likely to break suddenly. Good hickory 

 is not easily procured, but]when it is really good it 

 is as strong as lance wood, not so heavy, more 

 pliant, and less easily broken. Though lance 

 wood may be used for the thick joints, I, as a 

 maker, disapprove of it in toto for the tops of any 

 rods. Burnt or mottled East Indian cane will 

 make a good salmon-remand one of my customers 

 tells me that a rod he has of this cane is the best 

 he has ever had. 



Double-handed trout fly-rods are generally 

 from fourteen to sixteen feet long, and will kill 

 middle-sized salmon, grilse, and large trout. The 

 rent and glued bamboo cane ones are the best. 

 The other woods I have already recommended for 

 large salmon-rods, will suit these smaller ones, 

 thickness and tapering of course to be propor- 

 tioned to length. 



Single-handed fly-rods are made generally 

 twelve feet long, though there are some as short as 

 eleven and ten feet. The best average length is 

 thirteen feet. The wood should be the same as 

 for the other rods just described. Screw fittings 

 are bad. They are far too heavy, and soon get 

 deranged by hard work. Tongue fittings are the 

 best for all fly-rods, and they will not work out of 

 place if made to fit exactly. Whenever a fitting 

 works out, or whenever by shaking the rod you 

 hear a rattling noise at the ferrules, they are not 



