RODS. 33 



from three to five dollars; split bamboo comes much higher. 

 Good steel rods cost five dollars or more. 



But if the bait-casting rod is a mechanical fish-killer the 

 light and graceful fly rod is the very opposite. It is the 

 aristocratic angler's tool, and, of course, is adapted to an 

 entirely different class of fishing. 



Fly rods are made of the same materials as bait rods, 

 but here the selection of material is of even greater impor- 

 tance. Split bamboo is the best yet, but solid wood rods are 

 also used considerably though not as much so as at one time. 

 Greenheart is the favorite wood in England and beautiful 

 rods are made of it, but the English ideas of fly-casting are 

 not exactly the same as ours and therefore greenheart is not 

 so popular in our own country, though a favorite in Canada. 

 Lancewood is more used here and is a very good material, 

 but the best of solid woods is bethabara or noibe wood, 

 which is only selected bethabara. But split bamboo is the 

 universal favorite because of its greater strength, which 

 allows the rod to be made lighter, and this is of the greatest 

 importance. 



Fly rods for trout and bass should be of a length from 

 eight to eleven feet, but nine and a half or ten feet is about 

 the standard. Lighter rods may be used to fish for trout in 

 lakes than in streams, for there they are somewhat less 

 active and do not have a current to help them out in fighting. 

 For lake fishing the longer rods may also be used. In bass 

 rods there is less latitude in choice and a slightly heavier 

 rod than for trout is recommended. For catching the smaller 

 trout in small mountain streams extremely light rods are 

 sometimes used. The lightest rods made weigh only one and 

 three-fourths ounces, or a trifle more, and are seven feet 

 long. 



These rods are very delicate, however, and should only 

 be used by experts. For general trout fishing a split bamboo 



