ON ANGLING. 89 



Rods for roach, dace, gudgeons, ruff, 

 bleak, and the smaller tribe of fish with 

 which this river abounds, should not ex- 

 ceed eight or ten feet in length, but as it 

 would be troublesome and expensive to 

 have rods for all these purposes, two may be 

 made to answer every occasion by the appli- 

 cation of different tops, except those for the 

 artificial fly, which are made much lighter 

 and upon a different construction; the but 

 end is thick about two feet, and tapered sud- 

 denly, that the weight may lie behind as a 

 balance, and prevent the arm being tired by 

 throwing the fly ; it should be very elastic, 

 and spring from the but end to the top ; it is, 

 not necessary to have rings on this rod on 

 account of the size of the fish caught in the 

 Trent, as you seldom take a fish with the fly, 

 in this river, exceeding two pounds weight, 

 and these are chub, (which are easily mana- 

 ged) but the silk with which the rings are 

 fastened, strengthens the rod greatly. A 

 sharp spike screwed into the but end will be 

 particularly useful when you have tired a 



