32 The American Salmon-fisherman. 



top-heavy when compared to a like rod used as in actual 

 fishing with reel in place. The longer the rod the more 

 marked the difference becomes. If this is overlooked in 

 the selection of a salmon-rod, the purchaser will naturally 

 choose one without the apparent defect, and get in con- 

 sequence one abnormally light in the tip. This is one of 

 the very worst faults a salmon-rod can have. A heavy 

 line is so advantageous in salmon-fishing as to be almost 

 indispensable. The rod must have the power to lift and 

 handle such a line with certainty and precision. Doubt- 

 less some men can, with patient practice, do pretty fair 

 work with a rifle the sights of which are quite out of 

 alignment, but that is no argument for the selection of 

 such a rifle. A pertinacious struggle may at last in some 

 measure overcome the difficulty, but that is no reason why 

 the difficulty should be voluntarily created 



A rod of which the tip is not absolutely under the 

 command of the lower part is exactly like a rifle the 

 sights of which are out of adjustment. It is the extreme 

 end of the tip which directs the fly to its mark. The 

 complications caused by wind and neighboring obstacles 

 will sufficiently exercise the skill of the angler, without 

 handicapping himself with what might well be likened to 

 a gun with a crooked barrel. 



The next step is to see that the curve described by the 

 rod when bent is a true curve. Its presence indicates 

 that each fibre of the rod is bearing its proper share of the 

 load. But if the rod shows a broken curve stiff, alternat 

 ing with softer places the strain is unfairly distributed. 

 In the first case the rod has all its resources at command 

 for the day of the trial of its strength, like a good army 

 ably handled; in the other it is like an army the compo- 



