TACKLE 23 



THE ROD 

 HISTORICAL 



The " rods " used by the earliest anglers evidently 

 were of native cane of some sort or switches cut "a 

 la small boy " from the stream side. The earliest de- 

 scription of a rod and its making, will be found in 

 Berners' " Treatyse." She goes into detail on the 

 selection and curing of the wood and the making of the 

 rod which, if followed out carefully, would produce 

 a fairly good fishing tool of well seasoned and cor- 

 rectly proportioned wood. 



The early fly fishermen of Kentucky caught their 

 bass with rods of native reed, 10 to 14 feet in length 

 and weighing from 4 to 6 ounces. Used with the finest 

 line and excellent reels of their own manufacture, 

 it is apparent that their tackle was as light and neat, 

 if not as luxurious, as what we use to-day. 



Dr. Bethune (1848) describes the rod of his choice 

 as follows: " A fly rod should not be more than i4 1 /2 

 feet at the farthest ; the butt solid, for you need weight 

 there to balance the instrument and your spare tips 

 will be carried more safely in the handle of your land- 

 ing net. ... A rod in 3 pieces is preferred at the 

 stream but inconvenient to carry and, if well made, 

 four will not interfere materially with its excellence; 

 i. e. : the butt of Ash, the first joint of hickory, the 

 second of lancewood and the tip of East India bam- 

 boo or, as I like better, the extreme of the tip of 



