FISHING GENERALITIES 95 



writer knows one first-class angler who always uses a 

 nine-feet-six-inches greenheart rod, and declines to 

 avail himself of one of greater length. On the other 

 hand, many equally good exponents of the art scoff 

 at such a sized rod, and affirm, with many strengthen- 

 ing adjectives, that nothing under ten feet six inches 

 is any use, especially if big trout are the quarry to be 

 caught. 



As a matter of fact, the rod with which the fisher- 

 man can fish most accurately and with the least 

 fatigue is the one he should use ; and this knowledge 

 can only come from experience. It does not matter 

 a drop of scentless paraffin whether the rod be com- 

 posed of greenheart, hickory, or split cane, so long as 

 it suits its wielder. It is of no consequence whether 

 it has cost seven guineas, as a cane rod sometimes 

 does, or whether one pound has been its price, so long 

 as it has plenty of power, is not too ' whippy ' a fatal 

 fault is not too stiff and ' barge-poley,' is well 

 balanced, and not too heavy. A rod thus fashioned 

 is a good one, of whatever material and by whatever 

 maker it may be built. 



All that has been said with regard to single- 

 handed trout rods -for one must place in that cate- 

 gory all rods up to eleven feet or thereabouts applies 

 equally to double-handed ones, and therefore there is 



