The Angler’s Workshop. 
Fishing Rod Making for the Beginner 
By PERRY D. FRAZER 
VIII. — Three-piece Rods. 
T HE most common type known is the three- 
piece rod, the separate parts of which 
are of equal length. The angler who 
must go far afield for his fishing demands a rod 
that, is compact, just as he wants a take-down 
gun in the autumn. The difficulty experienced 
in traveling ,in trains and street cars, as well 
as in walking through crowded streets argues 
against unwieldy parcels, and the fly or bait rod 
must be made in lengths convenient to carry. 
The rodmaker might argue until doomsday in 
favor of long-joint rods, claiming better action, 
greater strength, etc., but he could never per¬ 
suade his patrons that these qualities outweigh 
the greater handiness of short joints. 
This being true, the rodmakers place the 
joints where they will affect the action of the 
rods the least; namely, in two places, making 
even an n-foot fly-rod conveniently portable 
when taken down. They carry this practice to 
the longest salmon rods, which are nearly al¬ 
ways made in three joints, proving that no 
maker likes to place ferrules in the middle of 
the rod—which is necessary in making a four- 
joint rod. The principal exceptions are the short 
two-piece salt-water rods, which are more or 
less stiff throughout their length; and the short 
bait-casting rods. 
In a 5 l / 3 -{oot bait-casting rod of the necessary 
caliber, two ferrules make the joints very short, 
and the stiff metal is actually about one-eighth 
the total length of the rod. Aside from the fact 
that the ferrules in short three-piece rods are 
placed to better advantage, the rod made in two 
pieces of equal length is to be recommended. 
Certainly it is almost as easy to make two of 
this type as one with three joints and an extra 
tip. When the three-joint rod is to be made 
6 or 6 t /2 feet long, however, its advantages in¬ 
crease with its length. 
In a 5 l 4 -f°ot rod made in three pieces of 
equal length, and of the caliber given in Fig. 
29, the ferrules will be 21-64 inch, wdh one 
center; and 13-64 inch, with two centers, for the 
tips. The tips when completed and fitted with 
tops, will be 22 Y\ inches long and will be tapered 
from 13-64 to 7-64. Finish these first. It is 
well to bear in mind that you cannot make each 
of the other two joints one-third of the total 
length of the finished rod, for the reason that 
the tip is to be pushed one inch into the. ferrule 
of the middle joint, and this in turn inches 
into the ferrule on the butt joint, while these two 
ferrules add to the actual length of the two 
lower parts. 
A more difficult problem in division and ad¬ 
dition it would be hard to'find. The first time 
I tried to make a rod of three pieces of equal 
length I almost gave it up in despair, for despite 
what I thought was exact calculation, the sepa¬ 
rate parts would vary or the total would be too 
great. Finally I drew a pencil mark on the 
floor just 5 l / 2 feet long, and sitting down, 
puzzled the problem out by placing the three 
parts of the rod, with the ferrules beside them, 
on the line, and measuring until the adjustments 
were correct. 
The actual length of the middle joint will be 
21^4 inches, for the top or female ferrule will 
extend 1 inch beyond the wood, making this 
joint 22^4 inches when it is finished. Taper the 
wood from 21-64 to 15-64, it being remembered 
that the cap of the ferrule is slightly larger in¬ 
side than the caps of its centers. Cement the 
ferrule on the small end of the middle joint 
and the center of the butt ferrule on the other 
end. 
The wood of the butt joint'will be 2ij4 inches 
long, as the ferrule adds 1% inches to its total 
length, 22^4 inches. Taper it from 15-32 at the 
pencil mark, indicating the upper end of the 
handgrasp, to 11-32, to fit the cap of the ferrule, 
which is 21-64 at the small end. 
You are now ready for the handgrasp, the 
various forms of which are described in prer 
ceding chapters. Careful testing is necessary 
before this rod can be finished, for different 
pieces of wood vary considerably, and it is 
seldom one can make all the tapers just what 
he expects to. The two lower joints may need 
fining down until the action suits you, and in 
some rods I have substituted 19-64 for the 21-64 
inch lower ferrule, making a hollow taper from 
handgrasp forward a few inches, then uniform 
taper to the first ferrule. 
If the rod is to be six feet long, which will 
make it much sweeter for fishing and accuracy 
casting—its three joints considered—the ferrules 
should be 15-64 and 21-64. One of my favorite 
bethabara rods is 5 feet io^Hs inches long and 
it is a very pleasant rod to fish with. It? 
ferrules and calibers are the same as those given 
above. It has cord-wound double grasp, rubber 
button, four guides and stir'rup-tube top. It 
weighs nearly seven ounces. 
Split-Bamboo Rods. 
Few amateurs attempt to make split bamboo 
rods because they believe the work is too com¬ 
plicated. It is at once a difficult and yet a 
very simple proposition, as will appear later on. 
Good material properly, worked up will give 
you a first-class rod. Patience and perseverance 
are necessary, for the preparatory work requires 
great care, and- the least slip of plane or file 
may ruin an otherwise perfect strip. 
You cannot copy a wood rod in bamboo, for 
aside from the fact that they are essentially 
different in every way, you can always measure 
the exact diameter of your wood rods, but 
must measure the “flat” surfaces of the hex¬ 
agonal bamboo, and these do not give true 
calibers. Neither can you hope to determmc 
its calibers in the professional way. Long ex¬ 
perience tells them where a rod needs strength, 
and where it should be tapered rapidly. Even 
in examining one of their rods you will not 
notice the slight variations at certain places, 
which seem trivial to you, but are the result of 
burning much midnight oil and trying, altering, 
testing to attain perfection. 
In making each of the strips you halve the 
actual caliber, but only approximately. Finally, 
you must work very slowly. If you finish six 
perfect strips of whatever length in a day you 
will work faster than you should. Remember 
that you cannot use your split bamboo rod as 
soon as finished, as you can a wood rod. There¬ 
fore, go slow. 
These remarks are not intended to discourage 
you, but rather to make you cautious. The first 
time I actually finished six strips of bamboo and 
began to glue them, my hands trembled so that 
the work was very poorly done; for I had been 
told that I could not do it, and I half expected 
them to fly apart despite the excess of glue on 
the strips, on my hands and on the floor. As a 
matter of fact you will be delighted—just as I 
was—and the result will be much more satis¬ 
factory than you anticipate. 
If you decide to use Calcutta, select several 
canes i^4 inches or more in diameter at the 
large end, having in mind the fact that the 
burns must not penetrate the enamel. Pound 
each piece smartly on the floor and examine 
closely for worm holes, and the dust from them. 
Cut the pieces at least a foot longer than the 
finished joint is to be. Split them through the 
eyes where the leaves grew, for this part is 
worthless. An old table knife will serve the 
purpose. This will leave about two-thirds of 
each cane from which to make selections. 
Split up enough to give you six good pieces, 
and plane two sides of each strip, leaving it 
nearly equare in section. Keep in mind the 
fact that the rind or enamel is not to be touched 
with any tool. In squaring up the strips ap¬ 
proximate the taper of each one, but otherwise 
do not disturb the pith side. 
Examine each strip carefully for worm holes, 
and if there is the slightest indication of these 
in it, break it up and thus avoid any possibility 
of its being used. Worm-eaten bamboo is the 
bane of the rodmaker. 
File the knots slightly and lay the strips side 
by side, rind up. Now note the burns again, 
and if any of them char the enamel, reject that 
strip and try another one. Next try the. strips 
which contain the leaf eyes, bending them in 
