168 Book of the Black Bass. 



maimer of service required of them. Upon this principle 

 an honest and well-made trout fly rod of good weight and 

 length answers for black bass fl}' fishing ; and, fortunately, 

 a suitable rod of this character can be procured from 

 any first-class maker; but I would caution the new hand 

 against the many cheap rods now in the market. A good 

 rod can only be obtained at a fair price. 



To propel so light an object as a cast of flies one hun- 

 dred feet or more requires an instrument of propulsion 

 as perfect as a rod can be made. Hence a fly rod must 

 have stability and power, or backbone, in the lower third 

 of the rod, with sufficient, pliancy and resiliency in the 

 iipper two-thirds to respond to and augment the initial 

 projective force applied by the arm of the angler. All 

 fly rods should be made in accordance with this principle ; 

 and it is only a question of proportion as between the 

 heaviest salmon rod and the lightest trout rod. It is some- 

 what on the principle of a long coach whip with a stifiish 

 butt and flexible top, which enables the driver to flick a fly 

 from the flank of a leader in a four-in-hand with ease and 

 precision. 



Single-handed fly rods are from nine to eleven feet long ; 

 and weigh from three to eight ounces. The heavier rods 

 are for black bass and large trout, and the lightest for 

 small trout. Comparatively light rods are now made 

 powerful enough to cast nearly a hundred feet, and of 

 sufficient strength to kill the largest brook trout. The 

 pleasures of angling are much enhanced bv the employ- 

 ment of a light rod, which permits the angler to cast for 

 hours without fatigue, whereas ^vith the old long and heavy 

 rod it was at best a labor of love. The best material is 

 split-bamboo, when of first quality, though lancewood, 

 greenheart, or bethabara is more serviceable in the long 



