44 The American Salmon-fisherman. 



else will determine itself. The smaller end of tip will be 

 \ inch. The diameter of thickest part of butt-joint above 

 handle for lancewood or greenheart will be |4- inch for a 

 rod 15 feet over all, and f | inch for a 16-foot rod, meas- 

 ured in the same manner. The handle should be 22 inches 

 long, and the reel-seat should be placed 8^ to 9 inches 

 from the outer end of the butt-cap. 



With good material, that uniform action of a fly-rod 

 which makes it feel in the angler's hands as though it 

 were a living thing, is most readily attained by making 

 the thickest part of the middle joint and tip but little 

 thinner than the smallest part of the joint immediately 

 below it. The shorter the ferrules the more closely the 

 diameters should approach one another. This is readily 

 done if the male or entering ferrule be " capped " — that 

 is, enlarged at the end which slips over the wood by a 

 short metal band of greater diameter. If there is any 

 reason for the common practice of capping both the male 

 ferrule and its mate as well, then there must be reason in 

 the construction of those rods which one sometimes sees, 

 in which an abrupt and marked change of diameter occurs 

 at every joint. If such reason exists, it has altogether 

 eluded my investigation. 



We will conclude this chapter with this advice, which, 

 to him who has not made it a practice, is worth all the 

 trouble that reading this chapter has given: Grease your 

 ferrules well before jointing your rod for use, and wipe 

 them thoroughly inside and out before packing it away. 

 Store it in a perpendicular or horizontal position and in a 

 cool place, and tie no string or tape tight about the mid- 

 dle of the bag which contains it. 



