BAIT-FISHING. 487 
ordinary bass-rod. The butt. should be hollow, to contain 
spare tips. -The second, third and fourth joints should be 
bamboo, so that when the rod is put together, it will be 
about twelve feet. 
The rod should have two spare tips; one should be 
stronger and shorter than the other, to vary the fishing 
according to the state of the weather, and circumstances. 
The fourth, or last joint tip, should be about three feet, 
thinner, and more pliant than the spare tops which fit in 
the bored butt. The first. spare tip should be two feet 
long, stiffer and stronger than the original top. The 
second spare tip should be about fourteen inches long, 
strong and stiff; and in heavy weather, this strong, stiff 
tip will be the one to use. 
Rod-making has been brought to such perfection, it 
would be a waste of time to give further instructions ; 
but still I only know two men in this city who can make a 
true trolling-rod, viz.:—Ben. Welch, of Cherry street, 
and George Karr, of Grand street near Broadway. 
Rings should never be used on rods of this character. 
The “railroad” through which the line travels, consti- 
tutes one of the peculiarities of this rod. Rings interfere 
with, and impede the line, and should not be used. The 
guides used by Welch are the only true ones—they are 
neat, light, with a thin flat shank, about one fourth of an 
inch in length, which is firmly secured on the different 
joints. There should be very few guides on the rod—five 
I consider sufficient, exclusive of the metal case at the top 
of each tip. This metal case should have a rounded sur- 
