March 7 , 1908 .] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
179 
vital importance, for any one of these rods is 
capable of handling 100 to 125 feet of double 
tapered line, and that means that they can be 
depended on to.kill the biggest salmon. It is 
essential to kill these royal fish on the rod and 
to gaff them only after their fight is ended, 
therefore a nicely balanced wood rod will 
answer, it being conceded that bamboo will be 
less likely to give way to the accidents that may 
occur on any game fish stream. 
Salmon fly-casting has grown more and more 
popular among the clubs that practice fly-casting 
as a pastime, and men who have never seen a 
salmon river and probably never will see one 
254 inches long, 21-64; 6 inches, 5'!6; 12 inches, 
19-64; 18 inches, 9-32; 2 feet, 17-64; 2/4 feet, 
15-64; 3 feet, 13-64; 334 f eet > 3 -l 6 ; 4 feet, 11-64; 
4'/2 feet, 9-64; at top, /s inch, lops, loose ring, 
steel. Guides: First, agate, 5-16; balance hard 
steel snake guides, fifteen in all. 
Bethabara Salmon 1100.—Length, 14 feet 11 
inches; joints, 5 feet; weight, 28 ounces. Hand- 
grasp, double, 24 inches long, other dimensions 
same as split bamboo rod. Calibers: 24 inches 
from butt, 54 inch; 30 inches, 45-64; 3 feet, 
43-64; 3 * l * * * * * 7 A feet, 5/s) 4 feet, 19-32; 434 feet, 9-16; 
ferrule, capped and welted, 354. inches long. 
Middle joint: Ferrule, 2^4 inches long, 17-32 
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Fifteen-foot Split-Bamboo Salmon Rod. 
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Fourteen-foot Bethabara Salmon Rod. 
FIG. 49. 
have become adepts with the salmon rod arm 
its heavy line and leader. It appeals to many 
who do not care for the contests with four an 
five-ounce trout fly-rods, and it is an exceed¬ 
ingly fascinating game. 
For a long time the maximum limit to the 
length of tournament salmon rods was placed 
at eighteen feet, but recently this was changed 
and the limit placed at fifteen feet. This is m 
line with the desire to use lighter tackle, am 
it also enables salmon fishermen to use their 
thirteen, fourteen and fifteen foot fishing rods m 
tournaments, placing them on fairly even terms 
with contestants whose rods are made for dis¬ 
tance casting only, but which would be rather 
stiff for all-day angling. 
Of all the fly-rods, the salmon rod is the 
easiest one for the novice to build from solid 
wood, and there is no reason why he should 
not get excellent results from such a rod con¬ 
structed for use exclusively in what is termed 
tournament casting; in other words, all casting 
for practice or for record. 
I give the specifications of three salmon rods 
that I have used with satisfaction in tournament 
casting, and these are illustrated in I ig. 49 - 
Split Bamboo Salmon Rod.— Length, 14 feet 
11 / inches; joints, 5 feet 1 inch; weight, 26 
ounces; material, six-strip Calcutta bamboo. 
Handgrasp, double, 24 inches long, solid cork 
fitted to bamboo direct. Length of lower grasp, 
7 inches; diameter, 13-16; buttcap, 1 1-16; reel- 
seat, 6 inches long, 1 inch in diameter; uppci 
grasp, 11 inches long, diameter, 13-16. Calibers. 
24 inches from butt, at taper, 41-64; 3 ° inches, 
54 ; 3 feet, 39-64; 3A f eet > l 9~32) 4 ^ eet > 37 - 64 . 
4/2 feet, 35-64; ferrule, capped, welted and ser¬ 
rated, 4/2 inches long. Middle joint: Ferrule, 
354 inches long, 17-32; 6 inches from bottom, 
17.32; 12 inches, 34; 18 inches, /z ; 2 feet, 31-64, 
254 feet, 15-32; 3 feet, 7-16; 334 feet, 13-32; 4 
feet, Ys) 4*4 feet, 11-32; ferrule, capped, welted 
and serrated, 354 inches long. Tips: Ferrule, 
diameter; 6 inches, 17-32; 1 f°°t> 33 - 64 ; 
inches, 33-64; 2 feet, 34 ; 2J/2 feet, 31-64; 3 f eet > 
15-32; 3 1 / feet, 27-64; 4 feet, 13-32; 434 . feet, 
25-64; ferrule, capped and welted, 3/ inches 
long. Tips: Ferrule, 2 inches long, 23-64; 6 
inches, n-32; 1 foot, 21-64; 18 inches, 5-16; 2 
feet, 19-64; 2}4 feet, 9-32; 3 feet > 34 ; 334 feet, 
7-32; 4 feet, 3-16; 434 feet, 5-32; at top, J 4 mch. 
Top, loose steel ring. Guides, same as on bam¬ 
boo rod. 
Bethabara Salmon Rod. —Length, 14 feet - 
joints, S7 l A inches; weight, 2534 ounces. Hand- 
grasp, same as on other rods. Calibers. 24 
inches from butt, 5^-64! 2/4 feet, 43-64, 3 feet, 
41-64; 3/2 feet, 39-64; 4 feet, 37-64; 434 feet, 
37-64; ferrule, capped and welted, 354 inches 
long. Middle joint: Ferrule, 17-32; 6 inches, 
17-32; 1 foot, 33-64; 18 inches, J 4 ; 2 feet, 31-64, 
254 feet, 15-32; 3 feet, 7 * 16; 334 feet, 13-32; 4 
feet, 23-64;.434 feet, 11-32; ferrule, capped and 
welted, 314 inches long. Tips: Ferrule, 21-64, 
6 inches, 5-16; 1 foot, 9-32; 18 inches, 17-64; 2 
feet, J4; 2j4 feet, 15-64; 3 f eet > 7 - 32 ; 3V2 feet, 
13-64; 4 feet, 11-64; 4/2 feet, 9-64; at top, 3 s 
inch. Top, loose steel ring. Guides, one agate, 
balance steel snake ring, fourteen in all. 
Winding Rods. 
This subject has been kept for a separate 
chapter, in order that the various steps in rod¬ 
making can be clearly understood, and to avoid 
repetition. Winding is a part of the work that 
can be done at odd moments, on a rainy day or 
in the evening, though I would not advise night 
work with colored silks, so trying are they on 
the eyes. . , 
Let 11s assume, then, that you have finished 
a ro( i—its type does not matter, as the winding 
is similar for all rods-and that it has been 
rubbed lightly with varnish and suspended until 
absolutely dry. 
The first things to consider are the guides. Lt 
the bait-rod is for accuracy casting or for fish¬ 
ing, the hand guide-the first one above the 
ree l— w j]] be placed nearer the reel, and more 
guides will be used than 011 a rod intended for 
distance casting only, on which two or three 
guides will be used. For fly-rods the position 
and number of guides depend upon its calibei 
and length. 
Take up the guides one by one and file the 
upper edges of the bases, so that the silk will 
not be cut by them in winding; then, with a few 
turns of common thread, tic each one on the rod 
and true them all up by sighting through them 
from both directions. '1 o assist in their align¬ 
ment tiny shallow holes should be drilled in 
both ferrules, so that in putting the rod together 
it is merely necessary to seat the ferrules with 
the two marks opposite in order to align the 
guides perfectly. This applies to all lods. 
” On bait-casting rods for tournament work 
alone, it seems best to use only two guides, so 
that the hand-guide must be three feet or more 
from the reel, the distance between it and the 
second guide being slightly more than the 
distance between the second guide and the agate 
top, in order to insure the least possible fric¬ 
tion on the line. 
If you are particular to have the windings as 
handsome as possible, putting them on without 
wax will tend to preserve their color, if they are 
carefully coated with shellac before varnishing. 
On a rod whose preliminary coat of varnish is 
still a trifle soft, yet not tacky, unwaxed silk 
will adhere nicely when it will not on har< 
varnish. Provided the silk is treated with abso¬ 
lutely colorless wax in clean hands, it will keep 
is color fairly well, but after the first two or 
three windings are put on and coated with 
shellac, the tyro will understand why dark 
shades of silk cannot well be used. For ex¬ 
ample, dark green silk, waxed but not 
shellacked, will turn almost black under the 
varnish, and red turns a dull shade. Wax 
causes the silk to grip the wood firmly and it 
waterproofs the wood in places where there is 
only one coat of varnish. 
A split cane rod, properly made and cemented, 
can be used without windings, provided it is 
not exposed to actual soaking. Following this 
line of reasoning, some rodmakers hold that 
winding a rod does not strengthen it materially. 
This may be true of rods whose windings are 
spaced ij4 or 2 inches apart, but if these aie 
placed one inch or less apart, they do strengthen 
the rod. A rod that is soft in action can be 
stiffened by close windings or by winding con¬ 
tinuously from end to end in spirals, provided 
the latter are spaced about one thirty-second 
of an inch and not put on solidly. 
If you are in no hurry it is well to make the 
windings on the butt of split cane rods narrow, 
say twelve turns each, but space them not 
further than i/ A inches apart, with six or more 
windings 34 inch apart next to the. ferrule. On 
the joint make the spaces one inch, with a 
similar cluster next the ferrules, and vary those 
on the tip from 54 to 34 inch. I am a firm be¬ 
liever in closer windings near the ferrules, to 
stengthen the strips there against damage in 
twisting-not that ferrules should be separated 
in any other manner than with a straight pull. 
It is safe, but not always advisable to wind m 
spiral form, provided the spirals are not so close 
together as to come under the descriptive term 
“solidly wound;” for while solid winding 
strengthens a rod, it also renders it soft in 
