FOREST AND STREAM 
435 
Small Talk About Rods for Fly Fishing 
With Necessary Lines, Reels and Flies 
I T seems to me, nowadays, that the bigger the 
man the smaller the reel or gun he wishes to 
use—feather-weights, in fact. 
I had a small bore, extreme choke Greener 
some years ago that worried me, because it was 
so light that there was no stability to it. It was 
like a feather in the hand. In cover one either 
missed his bird, or absolutely destroyed it. (I de¬ 
test mangled game.) It was a very pretty weapon 
in the open, say on wild snipe, or single ducks, 
where one could exercise the same care and 
judgment that he would use in aiming a rifle, but 
it was too light for me. Tastes differ, as, in a 
short time, I sold it to an athletic gentleman, six 
feet three inches in his stockings, who com¬ 
plained that his gun, weighing seven and one- 
quarter pounds, was too heavy for him. He tried 
to use the little Greener for a riding whip, on a 
mule, and knocked off the stock. In time he had 
the extreme choke reamed out and stated that he 
liked the gun. It is much the same in fly rods. 
One well-known angler has sixteen of these, and 
has steadily progressed in the direction of shorter 
and lighter weapons, until last season his favorite 
weighed two and one-half ounces. He is an ex¬ 
pert and casts well with anything, but I should 
love to see him hitch up with a good solid three 
or four-pounder, in a big bold stream, on full 
water in May, when it is cold and the trout are 
full of life, strength and deviltry. I think a great 
deal about the man of limited means and oppor¬ 
tunities. He may be a fine fisher and love the 
sport passionately. He loves a fine rod and will 
deny himself many things to get it, but he can 
have but one for all his fly fishing. He expects 
this rod to last for years and to serve him per¬ 
fectly in all sorts of fly fishing, from the most 
delicate casting in hard fished brooks, to playing 
successfully some monster of the river, the prize 
of a lifetime. If he is a dry-fly or up-stream 
fisher he requires a rod with considerable back¬ 
bone (power), which will enable him to cast into 
the wind with accuracy. It is exasperating to be 
obliged to make half a dozen casts before one 
can place his fly correctly. Very little has been 
said about the handles on fly rods, and in the 
effort to obtain light weights on the scales the 
hand grasp has been cut down to an extremely 
small diameter. Ask any fly fisher who is not 
ambidexterous, and only fishes occasionally, 
where he feels most fatigue and he will be apt to 
tell you that it is in the grasp of the right hand. 
A comfortable handle of fair diameter is a boon 
on any fly rod. Personally, I like the old “Wells” 
hand grasp and I see that it has been copied in 
England. They have been imitating our best 
rods for years, but we doubt if they can duplicate 
the life and responsiveness of the American. One 
can become accustomed to any action, but to 
have a rod that suits your style and temperament 
is delightful. It adds greatly to one’s pleasure, 
and the mere casting of the fly is enjoyed, even 
By Theodore L. Gordon. 
when the trout are down and will not rise. If 
you are limited to one rod do not select one of 
the extremes in weight, although the tendency is 
apparently in the direction of short and light 
rods. A six-ounce rod of ten feet may be far 
more comfortable and satisfactory in use than a 
three-ounce of eight feet. Some of the best 
fishermen use the nine-and-a-half-foot rod, al¬ 
though the nine-footer is a great favorite with 
dry fly men; but suit yourself, that is the great 
desideratum. One man wants a rod that plays 
freely right into the hand, another prefers a firm 
butt and fine point. The best rod I ever had 
measured ten feet, yet I once had a very short 
weapon that was quite perfect for small streams 
or boat work. But we are selecting one rod for 
its suitability to all sorts of conditions that will 
afford us the greatest pleasure in casting and 
effectively handling hooked fish. We may have 
to cast the smallest of midge “flies,” or a bass 
fly, upon occasions. Compare a number of rods 
in the shop with reel in place, make them play 
from the wrist in a small figure of eight. Re¬ 
volve slowly and see that there are no weak 
points. As I remember it, Wells’ “Fly Rods and 
Fly Tackle” is one of the most practical books 
on angling that I ever read, but it was written 
before dry fly fishing became general, and his 
rods were built for Maine and the use of large 
flies. 
If one is taking up fly fishing for the first time 
I would strongly advise the purchase of one of 
the excellent rods that are now to be had at very 
moderate prices. There has been a wonderful 
improvement in all rods in this class during the 
last twenty years, and one can find any length or 
action desired. In time, after getting one’s sea 
legs and taking one’s bearings, one begins to long 
for the very best rod that can be made ,and then, 
through experience, he will select a weapon that 
will serve him perfectly for twenty years or 
more. It is quite instructive to watch the fortu¬ 
nate individuals who can and do manufacture 
their own split bamboo rods. They will turn out 
rods of various lengths and weights, but notice 
what they habitually use in their fly fishing. In 
my experience it is not the very light rod. I no¬ 
tice that the great English authority on dry fly 
fishing prefers a powerful rod and that in his 
instructions he urges great deliberation in cast¬ 
ing. The movements are to be slow and easy, 
and all the power of the rod is brought out, but 
he casts only to rising trout and is inactive for 
long periods during the day. Now the American 
rod is usually quick and nervous in action, it has 
wondertul life and resiliency, and is built to suit 
The Light Rod Lacks Power to Control Fish in Dangerous Situation. 
