74 How to make a Worm-rod. 



together : this done, the rough rod is laid down. Now 

 comes the nice part of the work. Let him commence 

 at the thin end and plane each side with an even taper 

 to the handle, which must be left sufficiently thick. 

 Wh.en this regular taper is made square from end to 

 end, he should place the rod on its edge, and plane the 

 top edge down, and so on with the other three. He will 

 now be able to discover, by taking hold of the rod, in its 

 octagonal form, the part or parts which require reducing 

 in order to make it spring evenly. This reduction made, 

 let him proceed to taper the eight edges off, as he did 

 the former, but not so deeply, and then round the whole 

 carefully. When he has arrived at this point in his 

 work, he should again try the spring, but gently, for 

 fear of opening the splices, and he will then see where 

 any alteration is required, which must now be very 

 cautiously made, remembering that the butt must be 

 stouter than in the fly-rod, and the top also, though it 

 should have a nice, light, even spring. The next thing is 

 to finish it off with sand-paper, making it smooth and 

 perfectly round, or the spring will be uneven. 



Steam or damp the splice between the butt and the 

 top, to separate it. After this let him take some well- 

 waxed black silk and wrap all the splices carefully and 

 neatly. The top and butt must now be tied together 

 with waxed thread, and the rod examined by turning it 

 round, in order to see which way it stands the best and 

 straightest, from point to butt. When this is ascertained 

 he will mark the underside of the butt ; for on this side 

 the rings will have to be placed. This is done by 

 tying some thin slips of brass or copper with black 

 silk, on the places marked for the rings, which should be 

 rather nearer to each other on the top than on the butt. 

 Here is the process : Make a wrap or two of silk, and 

 then insert the flat piece of copper and make another 



