174 R d, Sinkers. Chapt. xni. 



not come in line, and the joints are always stiff and un- 

 bending. 



An ordinary ferruled rod is the general favorite, and 

 though glue dissolves in the damp, and wood shrinks in 

 the drought, of a climate which runs to such extremes, 

 still if the ferrules are all riveted inside and outside as 

 a good rod should be, I should think they ought to stand. 

 I say I should think, because it is fair to confess that the 

 rod I used to fish with in India was an Irish spliced one, 

 and the ferruled one I have now brought out has not had 

 more than a few months' trial. But then it has had a pret- 

 ty lively experience, in as much as 135 inches of rain-fall 

 in two months, and has consequently had a constant glue- 

 melting atmosphere. 



Have extra fly-tops for your Mahseer rod. I do not 

 think you want an extra stout spinning top with this rod; 

 though if you are going to spin with half-pound fish like 

 K. you should have it. 



One or two extra eyes, (brass, not glass), and two or 

 three dozen rings, will not come amiss for repairs in this 

 distant land, as well as for rigging out an extra rod of 

 bamboo. 



I want a word or two on sinkers, insigni- 

 Sinkers. ficant though the subject may be. They are 



generally sold with a little brass wire loop, jutting out 

 from the lead in which the rest is embedded when the 

 mould is cast. So far so good. But then tackle-makers 

 always insert into this loop an iron split ring, whereas 

 if they would simply knot on a small loop of gut, it would 



