AN angler's notes ON THE BEAVERKILL 



line and leader taut from the tip of the rod ; you are 

 then all ready to strike when you have a rise. Re- 

 member, the wrist does it all, makes the cast and 

 strikes the fish. Don't wave your arm as though you 

 were signalling the Empire Express. 



Rods. 



In fishing from a canoe on still water I prefer a 

 light, whippy rod, but in fishing the Beaverkill, espe- 

 cially when the water is high, a rod can hardly be too 

 stiff. The water carries the flies along rapidly; the 

 trout darts out like a flash ; now, if your rod is long 

 and whippy, the tip, when you strike, will dip a long 

 distance toward the water before it sweeps back to 

 hook the fish, and an appreciable amount of time is 

 thus lost ; with a stiff rod you save that time and are 

 therefore more likely to hook your fish. // is hooking a 

 fish on the rise that is the cream of Jiy-fishing. My favor- 

 ite rod for the Beaverkill, especially in the spring, is 

 a six-jointed split bamboo, that measures nine feet and 

 weighs four ounces. That style of rod is frequently 

 used on rapid streams; the short joints add to the stiff- 

 ness of the rod. A rod of that style, in order to stand 

 the strain, should not only be hand-made but should be 

 made by an expert, and should cost from $30 to $50. 

 Very often a rod that is too whippy can be stiffened by 

 taking a couple of inches from each joint. There is 

 nothing more heart-rending to the fly-caster than to 

 have trout rise to his flies and not be able to hook them. 



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