FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Feb. i, 1908. 
180 
inch station from handgrasp to top, and number 
them 6, 12, etc., up to 54. The distance between 
the horizontal lines at every mark will give the 
caliber of the rod at that point; that is, the 
length of the mark numbered 24 will be equal to 
the diameter of the rod 24 inches from the hand- 
grasp, if the taper is uniform. Fig. 27 ex¬ 
plains the method. To make the diagram handier 
let the horizontal lines be 9, 18 or 36 inches 
long, dividing the total into nine spaces of equal 
length, the result being alike in every case if 
the distances at the ends are exactly what the 
rod is to be at taper and top. 
Now, take a piece of brass and by sawing first 
and trimming with a file afterward, form a slot 
4 y 2 inches deep, 15-32 inch wide at the top and 
7-64 inch wide at the bottom. Every half inch 
fig. 27. 
scratch a line across and mark these 6, 12, etc., 
with a sharp-pointed instrument. This will serve 
as a gauge for uniform tapering. 
If, however, you have decided what the cali¬ 
ber of your rod is to be at every six inch station, 
you can utilize a piece of brass with ten square 
notches filed in its edges, the largest being 15-32 
inch and the smallest 7-64, every notch to be 
equal in width to the caliber of the rod at the 
corresponding station. These can be numbered 
from o to 54 respectively in half feet. 
For smoothing off rough places on metal fit¬ 
tings, taking the sharp corners off guides and 
many other little details, a fine three-cornered 
file will be very useful. I prefer the needle file 
because it will fit into a loop in the cover of 
my fly-book, and it can be used in lieu of a 
saw on occasion. A file of this sort is about 
six inches long, flat on one side and slightly con¬ 
vex on the other. Its width is about one-eighth 
inch in the center, tapering to a fine point. Al¬ 
though somewhat delicate, its high tempering 
prevents frequent breakage, and it can be used 
on rod fittings without scratching more than with 
emery cloth. 
Types of Bait-Casting Rods. 
To some persons it may seem that while an 
eleven-foot rod must be nicely tapered and bal¬ 
anced, a rod only half as long, being more or 
less stick-like, if made a given caliber, will 
answer. Nothing could be further from the 
truth. While it is a fact that a rod 5 l Z feet 
in length requires less time and material than 
one of the old-fashioned long bait-fishing rods,' 
it must be even more carefully made, for a dif¬ 
ference of one-sixty-fourth of an inch in the 
caliber of butt or tip may render it compara¬ 
tively worthless. A mistake in the long rod may 
be hfdden in its greater resilience, and this may 
save it, but reduce the length by one-half and 
you more than double the work required of each 
foot. 
For a long time after I first began to experi¬ 
ment with the modern bait-casting rods I felt 
sure that, for an all-round rod one of six feet 
or slightly longer seemed preferable to those of 
lesser lengths. Exhaustive experiments with 
rods of various lengths and with reels and lines, 
in fishing and in tournament casting have con- ■ 
vinced me that if we make our bait-casting rods 
as delicate, relatively, as our fly-rods, and still 
retain ample resilience, strength and backbone, 
$Z feet seems a very good average length. 
Numerous well-known advocates of short rods 
have arrived at the same conclusion. So well 
known are they that their adyice seems worthy, 
especially as their conclusions have been proved 
sound by the vast number of 5J4 foot rods used 
in the national casting tournaments and in bass 
fishing. 
Sometimes it is said that the modern bait¬ 
casting rod, like the long bow of merry England, 
should be proportioned to the owner’s height 
and strength. There may be something in this, 
but I would hesitate to assert that a six-footer 
should select a rod of his height, and a man of 
medium stature one of five feet. 
Who was first to advance this theory I do 
not know, but Alfred Ronalds, in his “Fly- 
Fisher’s Entomology” (London, 1836), said of 
salmon and trout fly-rods: 
“Like the bow of the archer, the rod of the 
angler should be duly proportioned in dimen¬ 
sions and weight to the strength and stature 
of him who wields it.” 
Possibly a short man may get better result 
with a five-foot rod than with one of six feet, 
but there is little to recommend any rod shorter 
than five feet, since it must be stubby if badly 
THE FLY-CASTING CONTEST AT SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA. 
Dr. Maitland, who won the Accuracy Fly Event. 
proportioned, or weak if of too small diameter. 
If the handgrasp is less than twelve inches in 
length, and the taper begins at 15-32 of an inch 
and is hollow- for a short distance, then gradual 
to the top, with a diameter there of 7-64 inch, 
the 66-inch rod will be equally serviceable for 
fishing and for practice in tournament casting. 
It may well be termed an all-round rod. 
In view of these facts, as well as for the sake 
of brevity and simplicity, I will try to instruct 
beginners in making bait rods 5L2 feet i n length. 
The application of the same principles to the 
making of rods of other lengths will follow 
naturally and fly-rods will be treated separately. 
Several things must be considered by the be¬ 
ginner before he obtains his rod materials: 
First. It is evident that the ideal rod is one 
made of a single length of wood or split bam¬ 
boo, with a handgrasp permanently glued on its 
large end. But while this is particularly true 
of split bamboo, it does not apply with equal 
force to wood, as it is more difficult to obtain 
a slender straight-grained piece of wood sixty- 
six inches in length and free from knots and 
other imperfections. Still, this is not impossible 
Second. A rod with only .one joint. Such 
rods are frequently made with a long tip and a 
separate handgrasp. This is a most excellent 
type, and rods of this form are very popular. 
They are more compact than the one-piece rods, 
and almost if not quite equal to them. 
Third. A rod consisting of a butt and a tip 
of the same length. This is not quite the equal 
of rods of the second class, but much more 
handy to make and to carry about. Theoreti¬ 
cally the ferrule should not be placed in the 
middle of the rod; practically a very good rod 
can be so made. Its simplicity is marked. It 
is a very common type, particularly in salt water, 
fishing. I have made several rods, each con¬ 
sisting of one length, and have invariably cut 
them in two later on, placing the ferrule in the 
middle, or in the thick part near the handgrasp. 
Very little difference in the action of these rods, 
before and after altering, was noticeable. 
Fourth. A rod consisting of a butt, a joint 
and a tip, all of equal length. This is the most 
common type known to-day, the handiest for 
carrying, but with its faults. Its ferrules are, 
in theory, placed to better advantage than an, 
those of the rod of the second class. Practice 
undoubtedly proves this theory correct. In a 
rod of 5Z feet, however, the ferrules materially 
stiffen it at these two points, and it must be, 
very carefully proportioned. 
How Salmon Find their Native Rivers 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
I have been asked this question by an ok 
netter who ought of all others to know. It i: 
an easy one. When the rivers flush in the lab 
spring, say from March to June, according t< 
latitude and location, as in Canada, the flooi 
waters from those streams extend well out inti, 
the ocean, and the fish in crossing these current 
are turned inboard. I suppose each respective 
band knows its native river by the taint of tb 
water. If it is easy for men to distinguish tin 
water of different wells, as well as differen 
ponds and streams, by the taste and odor, tb 
perceptive sense of the salmon should be keene 
yet. This conclusion of course is a priori. On 
can’t know everything. Charles Hallock. 
