62 PRACTICAL FLY FISHING 



or level; for American rods weighing 4% to 5^4 

 ounces, size E, tapered or level; for American rods 

 weighing 51/2 to 6 ounces, size D tapered, size E level; 

 for American rods weighing 6 ounces or more, size C, 

 tapered or level. 



Much, of course, depends on the action of the rod. 

 A stiff rod requires a heavier line than a limber one and 

 a British rod having considerable weight in the butt 

 can handle a smaller line than an American rod of the 

 same ounces. 



English makers use numbers to designate the sizes 

 of their lines. One well-known make corresponds with 

 American sizes as follows: 



English size 5 ; American size B. 



. . a (i r* 



4, v. 



"3; " " D. 



"2; " " E. 



STRENGTH 



The enameled line is made very heavy compared with 

 the soft light -line used in bait casting. Bait casters 

 judge their lines by their test in pounds and it is for 

 the benefit of the bait caster taking up fly fishing that 

 I bring up this subject. No ordinary fly rod can lift 

 three pounds and experiments show that a fish pulls ap- 

 proximately its own weight and a standard Size E 

 fly line tests around 25 pounds! It is a good plan to 

 snip off an inch or so of line from time to time. Fail- 

 ure to do so has often resulted in a lost fish. 



