FOREST AND STREAM 
161 
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THE CARE AND RIGGING OF RODS 
HOW THE ANGLER SHOULD PRESERVE AND HANDLE HIS MOST DELI¬ 
CATE INSTRUMENT, TO ASSURE ITS LONG AND FAITHFUL SERVICE 
T HE acme of perfection in rod construc¬ 
tion, especially for fly fishing, is an 
instrument made by hand from rent 
strips of properly selected bamboo cane. 
It is a wonderful implement, capable of 
enduring marvelous strains, and will serve 
you efficiently during years of repeated 
strenuous use, if properly cared for. But 
it is equally true that the best rod of this 
kind ever put up, may be irreparably dam¬ 
aged by carelessness or rank abuse. 
Such a faithful friend is worthy of 
proper respect and consideration. The 
writer has a five-ounce rod of his own 
manufacture, made over twelve years ago 
and in use every season since. Today it 
is in perfect condition; and he expects 
it to be the same a dozen years hence. 
To begin with, never leave your rod 
lying on the ground for any length of 
time. And never leave it in the bottom 
of a boat—an invitation for it to be stepped 
on. Above all, do not leave it thus lying 
out over-night, or assembled and stand¬ 
ing up against a tree or the side of the 
tent in camp. Do not leave it out over¬ 
night at all; take it indoors. And after 
using it, dry it with a soft cloth and ap¬ 
ply a little thin oil, like “3-in-i,” both to 
the rod and steel guides. When the rod 
is unjointed, even its individual joints 
should not be stood up on end and leaned 
against a support. And finally, when it is 
resting horizontally, see that its support is 
equally and well distributed throughout its 
entire length. 
W HEN the rod is unused for a long 
time, as during the winter months, 
the very best method of storage is 
to assemble the rod and hang it by its 
tip; whether a little warped, or simply to 
keep it true, it is a good plan to attach 
a weight—-a flatiron for instance—to the 
butt. f And it should be hung in a place 
neither damp nor too dry. A continuous 
exposure to dampness will warp any rod, 
and an excessively dry atmosphere will 
shrink the joints and loosen the ferrules. 
If space for this procedure be not available, 
hang up at least the jointed top and mid¬ 
dle joints in this way; or suspend each in¬ 
dividual joint from its end. 
Rods kept on grooved forms, or so 
transported, should never have the retain¬ 
ing-tapes tied too tightly around the joints. 
If there is a very pronounced set or warp 
in any of the joints the hanging treatment 
alone is not sufficiently effective; before 
applying it bend the defective joint in the 
opposite direction, between little wooden 
pegs thrust into holes in a board, or be¬ 
tween small partly driven nails the sides 
of which are padded with a good thickness 
of cardboard. Leave it thus for a time, 
but do not neglect to inspect it occasion¬ 
ally. Another method is to secure the 
larger end of the joint between the jaws 
of your vise, so that the joint will extend 
horizontally in front of your workbench, 
and attach a light weight to the unsup¬ 
By GEORGE PARKER HOLDEN, M. D. 
ported end, and so leave it for a season. 
This, by the way, is a handy method of 
making a definite comparison as to the 
relative rigidity of joints or of rods, by 
measuring the extent of the vertical de¬ 
flection produced by a definite weight. Or 
you may support the warped joint at its 
ends, in such a manner as will prevent it 
turning, and hang a weight from the 
middle. 
Rods are often set by the strain of play¬ 
ing and holding an extra big fish. The 
use of the detachable (Wells) grip is a 
very important factor in preserving rods 
from set, permitting as it does intermit¬ 
tent changing 
tion of chief 
through out 
week’s or sea- 
Any loosened 
ferrules, or 
places in the 
receive 
tion. And af- 
of long con- 
frequent use 
should receive 
varnish and a 
down. Wood 
or powdered 
with linseed 
up the Ger- 
ferrules and 
A rod that 
or whippy to 
of its owner 
fened materi- 
cious amputa- 
ends of the 
inch to an 
from severed 
make a great 
The best place 
first is at the 
the middle 
large end of 
many cases 
end of the 
need attention, 
end of the 
should, prac- 
b e touched, 
smashed top, 
the broken 
bevel at least• 
Taking 
Out the 
Kinks. 
of the direc- 
strain 
the day’s, 
son’s fishing, 
windings, or 
chipped or cut 
varnish should 
prompt atten- 
ter a season 
tinued and 
the whole rod 
a new coat of 
light rubbing- 
or cigar ashes 
chalk, mixed 
oil, will clean 
man- silver 
similar parts, 
is too limber 
suit the taste 
may be stif- 
ally by judi- 
tion at the 
joints; a half¬ 
inch removed 
joint-ends will 
differ e n c e . 
to operate at 
small end of 
joint and the 
the top. In 
the smaller 
butt does not 
and the butt 
middle - joint 
tically, never 
To repair a 
cut and file 
ends to a 
one inch long; 
glue, wind solid with silk, and varnish. If 
practicable, place a guide at the splice. 
To prevent the joints of your rod from 
sticking together at the ferrules so tightly 
as to make it difficult to disjoint them af¬ 
ter use, lubricate the male or inner fer¬ 
rules before jointing with a little mutton- 
tallow, or vaseline, or a few drops of thin 
oil. Or perhaps you can make use of some 
of your own natural oil, by wiping the 
center ferrules against the hair at the back 
of your head. You should have some left 
there, but if you are absolutely bald, you 
may resort to the side of your nose. 
Despite such precautions, if the joints 
persist in sticking after some unusually 
protracted period of the rod’s assembly, 
and after a judicious degree of force has 
not availed to separate them, heat the 
female or outer ferrule gently—and only 
at the offending point. In disjointing rods, 
do so preferably with a straight, steady 
pull. Don’t jerk. And if a slight twisting 
strain is employed at all, be sure that each 
hand has hold upon the ferrule ends —that 
neither grasps the wood of the rod-joint. 
In open country carry the rod, balanced, 
with butt ahead; but never carry an as¬ 
sembled rod any great distance through 
the woods. Take it down, even if you do 
not reel up the line. In carrying a short 
distance through the woods or brush, wind 
the line spirally about the rod and hook 
the tail-fly over a reel-bar or reel-seat ring 
and reel the line up taut. Have the rod 
pointing straight ahead of you, getting it 
through the openings tip first, the butt and 
yourself following. Similarly, in climbing 
a fence or crawling under, put the rod 
ahead. 
T O RIG the line properly on a three- 
joint rod, proceed as follows: Pick 
up the butt-joint with handgrasp and 
seat the reel so that it will come under¬ 
neath the rod, with handle to the right, 
and with the line rendering from the lower 
side of the reel straight to the first or 
bottom guide. Draw off the reel about 
fifteen feet of line, joint the top to the 
middle-joint, thread the line through the 
remaining guides, and then—and not ’til 
then—joint the two smaller joints to the 
butt-joint. 
When taking down the rod, generally it 
is preferable to disjoint the top first. At¬ 
tach leader and flies; not more than two 
flies for lake fishing, and only one for 
stream or any dry-fly work, 
This calls to mind a specimen of some 
of the curious advice thrust upon the 
novice by some who would pose as experts, 
writing in sportsmen’s magazines. Imagine 
that most dainty and precise result of the 
fly-tier’s art, a dry-fly, so carefully fash¬ 
ioned as to its hackle and up-standing 
wings, pressed flat between two layers of 
oiled felt for purpose of lubrication! If 
you do not possess one of the costly but 
convenient aluminum boxes, divided into" 
compartments, each with its individual lid, 
you can carry these artificials in any small' 
convenient tin-box, not too shallow, andl 
having a hinged cover. You may also 
manufacture quite a satisfactory receptacle 
out of a box that ten cents’ worth of 
crystallized ginger confection comes in 
from the fancy grocer, or from some 
styles of tin cigarette boxes.* 
A single-action reel is preferred for 
*Dr. Holden has kindly prepared a detailed 
and illustrated description of this unique little 
noraemade fly-box, which will be published in 
an early issue of Forest and Stream. 
