444 AjMbrican angler's book. 



to be held in the groove, and turned with the left hand, while 

 you are spokeshaving or filing it with your right. 



To MAKE A Fly-Eod OF THREE PIECES. — After deciding 

 on the proportions of the rod, and having made or bought 

 ferules of appropriate size, select a well-seasoned piece of ash 

 for the butt, and, with the drawing-knife and plane, work it 

 down to something like the desired size ; that is, suiBciently 

 large at one end for the grasp of the hand, and tapering to 

 something larger than the size of the ferule at the other end ; 

 the sides of the stick all the while being kept as nearly square 

 as possible. Then plane the corners off, so that a section will 

 present as near the shape of an octagon as you can get it. 

 Now screw the strip of wood with the largest groove fast in 

 your vice, and, laying the stick in it, work it as nearly round 

 as you can with your spokeshave and file, bringing it all the 

 while nearer the intended shape and size. Then polish it off 

 with fine sand-paper, and fit on the first ferule. 



To make the second or middle joint, as it may be called, 

 use only the plane, laying the stick between two thin strips, 

 tacked on the work-bench while planing it (on account of its 

 length and small size), keeping it square and taking off the 

 corners, to bring it to an octagon. Then screw into your vice 

 a strip of wood with a smaller groove than the one you used 

 for the butt, and round the stick with spokeshave and file, and 

 rub it down with sand-paper as you did the butt, and fit the 

 larger end into the first ferule, and the smaller into the second 

 ferule. 



Let me here say that there is some sleight required in filing 

 a long thin piece of wood. The file should be held obliquely, 

 and passed over the stick as it is held and turned in the 

 groove with the left hand ; occasionally rubbing the file with 

 a straight fore-and-aft motion over the stick, as if planing it, 

 which will take off any irregularities left from the other 

 mode of filing. 



