i6 THE DRY-FLY MAN'S HANDBOOK 



curve made by the rods free and with weights of 

 I oz. and 2 oz. 



Under the title of the light rod craze in an article 



pubhshed in the " Field " of 



The light rod craze. May 20th, 1905, I discussed at 



some length the origin of what 

 is often called the light rod which has been adopted 

 by our American cousins and to some extent in this 

 country. The absurdity of grading rods by their gross 

 weight in ounces is demonstrated in this article, and 

 I have done my best to show that mere weight is in 

 fact no criterion. A rod of 4 oz. may be, and often is, 

 far more tiring to the hand, wrist, and forearm of the 

 angler than a correctly balanced one of 10 or even 

 12 oz. 



Mr. J. J. Hardy's opinion on the subject as a prac- 

 tical maker and a past-master 

 Mr. J. J. Hardy's -^^ ^^ ^j^^ n ^^^ ^^^^ ^^^_ 



opinion on the light , , - , 



. mand the attention of the 



angler. He says in a care- 

 fully thought-out report on the subject : — 



" During the last few years a considerable advance 

 has been made in reducing the weight of rods due to 

 the hardness of the material and reduction in the weight 



O 



of the metal parts. In reference to this it is worth 

 while to consider whether we have gained much and 

 whether the reduction has been of any practical value, 

 or whether in some rods it has not been overdone." 



"In this direction the effort has been to de- 

 crease as far as possible the exertion required to 



