FISHING-RODS. 213 



Such a rod is about eleven feet long, and is made of split 

 bamboo, or a combination of ash and lancewood, and should 

 weigh from seven to nine ounces. With such a rod, prop- 

 erly handled, either line, leader or hook may part, but the 

 rod will remain intact. It combines all the essential qual- 

 ities of a good rod, viz : balance, lightness, strength, elas- 

 ticity, and pliancy. A Salmon rod is only a Trout rod 

 enlarged, proportionately, in every particular, and made to 

 be used with two hands instead of one. 



Now, if all fish were caught with the fly, there would 

 be no need for other rods than the Trout and Salmon fly- 

 rods; but as such, unfortunately, is not the case, we are 

 compelled to adopt other rods in accordance with the mode 

 of fishing, the character of the fish to be caught, and the 

 kind of bait to be used. But whatever may be the nature 

 of the rod that is to be made, let this general rule or prin- 

 ciple be followed in its construction : Let the rod conform 

 as nearly as possible to the typical rod, i. e., the Trout fly- 

 rod, as is consistent with the manner of service required 

 of it. If we follow this rule we can not go very far 

 astray. 



Acting upon this principle, then, I have found in my 

 experience that the essential qualities or attributes of a 

 good Black Bass rod for bait fishing, are just the same as 

 the typical rod for balance, weight, strength, and elasticity, 

 with a happy medium of pliancy, between a Trout fly-rod 

 and a Trout bait-rod, which can hardly be expressed in 

 words. But this slight stiffening of the rod makes it cor- 

 respondingly heavier, and in order to maintain the same 

 relative weight, we must cut down the length of the rod 

 by taking off from two to three feet, thus reducing the 

 rod to eight or nine feet in length, which is found by ex- 



