FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Feb. 29, 190$. 
340 
can be made very strong, and tips of different 
caliber or length are available, one handgrasp 
serving for a part of two or more rods. 
Two-piece rods, with the parts equal in length, 
come next. Other styles are used occasionally. 
Bethabara is the favorite wood and split bam¬ 
boo is coming into more general use for weak- 
fish rods and even for larger fish, including tuna 
and tarpon. 
It has long been the practice to equip heavy 
salt water rods with two sets of guides, so that 
any inclination of the tip toward set can be cor¬ 
rected by turning it half way round and using 
the other guides, etc. There are objections to 
this, due to the possibility of the line catching 
on the lower guides, and among anglers for big 
sea fish there are many who favor one set of 
guides only. The strain of trolling, and of 
fighting and landing heavy fish on a long line 
will permanently set any tip, but this can be 
corrected now and then so that the fault is not 
important. 
I will give the specifications of three salt water 
rods I have made at various times, the material 
of all being bethabara, and each being a useful 
type. They are illustrated in-Fig. 47. 
Tarpon Rod. —Length, 6 feet io )4 inches; tip, 
5 feet 514 inches. Handgrasp, 21 inches, wound 
with celluloid and fitted with a rubber button. 
Swell of handgrasp, 1 11-32 inches. Reelseat, 
1 1-16 inches in diameter. Taper of tip, 29-32 
to 5-16 inch, uniform throughout. Caliber of 
agate stirrup-tube top, Yi inch. First set of 
trumpet guides, 9 inches from top; second set, 
spaced 14 inches; third set, spaced 17 inches; 
set of agate hand guides, 25 inches from reel. 
The weight is about 24 ounces. 
Surf-Casting Rod.- —Length, 6 feet 11^2 inches; 
tip, 4 feet 11Y inches; handgrasp, 2514 inches 
long, or 22J 4 inches to center of reel. Swell 
of grasp, 1 3-16 inches; material, a greenheart 
17-32 inch core, covered with solid cork, making 
a very light as well as springy butt whose core 
is of the same diameter as the tip, of which it 
is really a continuation. Reelseat, inch, fitted 
for a 250-yard reel.’ Tip calibers: ferrule cen¬ 
ter, 17-32 inch; 6 inches forward, 17-32; 12 
inches, ; 18 inches, 15-32; 24 inches, 7-16; 30 
inches, 13-32; 36 inches, Ys ; 42 inches, 21-64; 
48 inches, 9-32; 54 inches, 17-64; at top, %-inch. 
Top, stirrup-tube, 5-16 caliber; raised agate 
guide, \o]A inches from top, with the second 
guide 14 inches below the first and 36 inches 
from the reel. Guide calibers, 5-16 and Y inch. 
This rod weighs only 13 ounces. It was de¬ 
signed for the regulation 2)4 ounce lead weight 
in long distance tournament casting, but will 
also handle a 3 or 4 ounce sinker nicely, this 
weight being, necessary in casting in the surf, 
where the combers will pick up a lighter weight 
and carry it into shoal water. It also has tre¬ 
mendous power for its weight, and is resilient 
throughout its entire' length, in which it differs 
from rods having heavy, stiff handgrasps; is a 
pleasant rod to fish with and one can cast a 
2 14 ounce weight 175 to 200 feet with very little 
effort. The grasp is made in the manner illus¬ 
trated in Fig. 35, but the core is largest • under 
the reel, then tapers to about Y inch at the butt, 
making it in fact a double-tapered rod. 
The grasp is so light that tips of small caliber 
and length are available, but for all-round sea 
fishing the handgrasp should be made about six 
inches shorter. 
Light Salt Water Rod. —Length, 6 feet 54 
inch; joints, 3674 inches. Weight, 13 ounces. 
Handgrasp, double, cord-wound; length, 21 
inches; swell of lower grasp, i)4 inches; of 
upper grasp, 1 inch; diameter of reelseat, % 
inch. Taper, handgrasp to ferrule, uniform, 
35-64 to 29-64; ferrule center, 7-16 inch, caliber 
of tip six inches from center, 13-32; 12 inches, 
25-64; 18 inches, 11-32; 24 inches, 21-64; 30 
inches, 9-32; at top 15-64 inch. Top, stirrup- 
Ipbe, agate, 5-16; bell guide, 9)4 inches from 
top; second guide 5-16, agate, spaced 17)4 inches 
and 27 inches from reel. 
This rod is pleasant to use for medium-sized 
sea fish, and handles the standard 2^4 ounce 
weight nicely. In one of the tournaments of 
the Anglers’ Club of New York in Central Park 
five contestants used this rod, the best cast with 
it being 190 feet. In practice I have averaged 
189 4-5 feet with it in five casts on the grass. 
The details of construction for similar light 
weight wood rods, already given, will apply to 
these salt water rods, save that heavier material 
will be needed. For my tarpon rod I obtained 
bethabara 1 inch square; for the surf rod, Ya 
inch; for butt of two-piece rod, Y\ inch, and for 
tip 74 inch. 
In making handgrasps for rods of this class, I 
leave the wood core somewhat rough, in order 
that the glue will have better holding ground 
than if the core were polished smooth. 
Merely to give an idea of the expense, in time 
and cash, to the amateur rodmaker, I give be¬ 
low the following data relating to these three 
rods. All are bethabara: 
Tarpon Rod.—Cost of material, about $7.50; 
time required, ten hours. 
Surf Rod.—Cost of material, about $6; time 
required, about seven hours. 
Light Salt Water Rod.—Material, $4; time, 
nine hours. 
If the surf rod is made of dagarna, purchased 
in billet form, the cost can be reduced some¬ 
what. The time given above refers only to 
finishing and mounting the rod, and does not in¬ 
clude winding and varnishing. 
Japanese Bamboo Supply Decreasing. 
Consul-General Henry B. Miller, of Yoko¬ 
hama, quotes a' published statement that the 
supply of bamboo in Japan is gradually decreas¬ 
ing, as bamboo groves have been attacked by a 
certain disease which causes them to decay. The 
Kobe Bamboo Guild has addressed a memorial 
to the Minister for Agriculture and Commerce, 
asking that measures be taken for the encour¬ 
agement of the cultivation of bamboo. 
Amateur Rodmaking. 
Elgin, Ill., Jan. 29. —Editor Forest and Stream: 
I have read the articles on rod making with' much 
interest. Have any of our American rod makers 
made the double-built rods commercially? 
Charles C. Elliott. 
New York, Feb. 14. —Editor Forest and 
Stream: I have read the articles in Forest and 
Stream on rodmaking and find them very in¬ 
teresting and complete. I shall make it a point 
to read the series through. 
Geo. R. Spinning. 
The N. A. S. A. C. Tournament. 
Chicago, Ill., Feb. 22.—Editor Forest and 
Stream: The second international tournament, 
given under the auspices of the National Asso¬ 
ciation of Scientific Angling Clubs, by the Illi¬ 
nois Bait-Casting Club, Aug. 14 and 15, will be 
held in Chicago, Ill. 
At a recent meeting of the tournament com¬ 
mittee of the Illinois club, besides naming the 
dates of Aug. 14 and 15, provision was made to 
give seven amateur events, officially recognized 
by the National Association of Scientific Ang¬ 
ling Clubs. The events to be given are: Sal¬ 
mon fly, distance fly, accuracy fly, dry-fly accu¬ 
racy, accuracy bait )4 ounce, accuracy bait )4 
ounce and distance bait )4 ounce. 
Diamond trophies are provided for each of 
the six leading events, and a suitable trophy in 
the salmon event, for the championships. 
In the meantime for those designing to get 
tackle ready, this abstract of the rules is given: 
Salmon Fly.—Rod not to exceed 15 feet in 
length; weight unrestricted; line unrestricted; 
leader not less than 6 feet nor more than 2 feet 
longer than rod, either single, double or in com¬ 
bination. Fly not smaller than one inch from 
bend of hook to end of shank; two-handed 
overhead casting. 
Distance Fly.—Rod unrestricted; reel unre¬ 
stricted; line unrestricted; leader single gut, 6 
feet or longer; fly not larger than No. 10; 
single-handed, overhead casting. 
Accuracy Fly.—Rod not to exceed 11 y 2 feet 
in length nor 8)4 ounces avoirdupois in weight. 
Reel unrestricted; line unrestricted, except not 
knotted or marked for distances; leader, single 
gut, not less than 6 feet nor more than 12 feet 
long. Fly not larger than No. 4; single-handed, 
overhead casting. 
Dry-Fly Casting.—Rod not over ii)4 feet in 
length; weight unrestricted ; reel unrestricted ; 
line unrestricted, except not to be knotted 
weighted or marked to indicate distances; leader 
single gut, not less than 6 feet nor more thar 
2 feet longer than rod; fly not larger than No 
10, old scale; single-handed, overhead casting. 
In the bait events, rod and line unrestricted 
reel, free-running, without retarding devices 
official weights. 
Quite a novel attraction is provided for in eacl 
of the six bait and fly contests (not includin] 
salmon fly). A handsome prize is to be,awardei 
for the highest score made in each event by an 
contestant who has never won an importan 
prize in an international tournament. Shoul 
the winner of any of these special prizes als 
make a score calling for an important prize i 
the regular list he may choose which he pri 
fers, as only one prHe will be awarded to an 
one contestant in any one event. 
The committee believes this novelty of si 
special prizes will widen the field of interest an 
friendly rivalry. It bars the heretofore “to] 
notchers” from winning-these specials, and pu 
“two strings to the bow” of every contestai 
who first steps on the “international” platforr 
L. E. DeGarmo, 
Chairman Pub. Com. 
All the fish laivs of the United States and Ca, 
ada, revised to date and now in force, are givi 
in the Game Laws in Brief. See ady. 
