great strength and lightness. In mak- 
ing a split cane rod, only the tough out- 
side rind is used. This is split into six 
strips, the cross section of a strip hav- 
ing the same shape as an equilateral 
triangle so that when the strips are 
joined together, they form a hexagonal 
joint with an even action on all sides. 
They must be carefully planed and 
fitted so the edges join perfectly. 
HE strips are made fast by means 
of a special albumen glue which is 
soluble in heat only, in order that the 
joint may not be affected by water sub- 
sequently, and come apart. Cane may 
be reduced to a very small diameter and 
still retain great strength. The tips 
of some of the best hand-made fly rods 
have a diameter scarcely larger than 
that of a darning needle, yet they are 
made of six strips to the very tip end. 
There are one or two firms that still 
make a few rods built on the eight strip 
plan, but rods built on the hexagonal 
system are generally conceded to be the 
best. A Massachusetts concern makes 
a rod built of twelve strips instead of 
six. It is really a rod within a rod, the 
external appearance being that of a 
hexagonal rod. Such a rod is, of course, 
extremely powerful and would do well 
for the heaviest kinds of angling. 
Fresh-water rods are divided into 
three classes, generally speaking. They 
are: fly rods, bait-casting rods and bait 
rods. Trolling rods, while sometimes 
of a slightly different design, can be 
classed with bait rods. Bait and bait- 
casting rods have the reel located above 
the grip, in order that the reel may be 
thumbed when casting and the fish 
played directly from the reel. On the 
fly rod, the reel is placed below the 
hand, because in fly fishing the line is 
stripped from the reel and cast by the 
action of the rod alone. In this posi- 
tion, the reel helps give better balance 
to the fly rod. Ordinarily, fly and bait 
rods have three joints with an extra 
tip. Some fly rods are made in two 
pieces, but there is little if any ad- 
vantage in this, and any gain in action 
is more than offset by the inconveni- 
ence in carrying. The best type of 
bait-casting rod is the one having the 
short butt and long tip, as the strain is 
practically all above, rather than at 
the ferrule, which is the weak point in 
any rod. 
| 
/ 
ip “ 
ae i 
ERRULES are made of nickel-plated 
brass in the cheaper rods, and Ger- 
man silver in the better grades. The 
better type of ferrule is made of the 
latter material and has split ends of 
“serrations” as they are called.. These 
split sections are wound down into the 
wood with the winding silk when the 
rod is wrapped and each point “gives” 
when the rod is in action, thereby pre- 
venting the wood’s cutting at the point 
of contact, as is some times the case in 
the ordinary style of ferrule. The best 
ferrules have small metal plugs in them 
in order that the water may not enter 
the wood. A special elastic ferrule ce- 
ment is used in fitting them to the 
wood. Some makers use a small pin 
in addition to the cement, but this is 
bad, because it weakens the wood, be- 
side being quite unnecessary. Upon 
examining a rod that has lain in its 
case during the winter, one will gener- 
ally find that the ferrules are loose. 
The rod will knock or click when swung. 
Sometimes heating each ferrule in the 
flame of a spirit lamp will re-melt the 
cement and tighten the ferrule. More 
often, however, the ferrule will have to 
be removed and fresh cement applied. 
When this is the case, a pin is a double 
nuisance, because it has to be removed, 
and when the ferrule is reset, there is 
always a small hole in the metal where 
the pin was placed. 
The material with which rods are 
wound is silk thread. This should be 
of the finest calibre obtainable, the 
kind designated by the symbol 00 or 
000 is most desirable. The theory that 
winding a rod strengthens it, is to a 
great degree a popular fallacy. 
GREAT number of split bamboo 
rods are now being made with 
guide windings only and they are much 
more attractive looking than those 
wound with gaudy red and green silk 
at one inch intervals throughout the 
length of the rod. A rod wound at the 
guides and ferrule serrations only, with 
olive or pongee colored silk, topped with 
a bit of orange or dark red, shows up 
the grain of the cane, and makes a 
very handsome looking job. 
When doing any rewinding on a rod, 
if you are careful to use first some 
white shellac or the color preservative 
sold in tackle shops, the silk will not 
darken as will be the case if varnish is 
applied directly to the raw silk. 
A great variety of line guides may 
tad 
ie 
be purchased, but there is a definite 
type best suited to each kind of rod. 
The snake guide is the best one to use 
on a fly rod, as it is light and simple 
and the line cannot tangle around it. 
It is important that guides be made of 
the hardest material in order that they 
may resist wear. Snake guides are now 
made of tungsten steel and are the best 
obtainable. A fly rod top is also made 
of this material, which resists filing. 
Often guides and tops, made of a 
comparatively soft material, will groove 
with wear and the rough edges will 
ruin a fine enameled line. The first 
guide and top on a fly rod should be of 
agate, as those are the two greatest 
points of friction. If the first guide is 
set well up on the butt joint (about 
four inches below the base of the fer- 
rule), casting will be easier, as this will 
allow plenty of room for stripping the 
line. 
It is a common fault to put snake 
guides that are too small on a fly rod. 
They should be of good size throughout, 
in order that the act of casting will 
cause the minimum of friction. Large 
standing agate casting guides are the 
best type for the bait casting rod. The 
top should be of agate, of course, and 
should be of the offset design. Three, 
or at the most four, casting guides are 
sufficient for a bait casting rod of aver- 
age length. Snake or trumpet guides 
may be used on a bait rod, but prob- 
ably the best type is the bell guide. This 
is made of German silver, is flat, com- 
pact and smooth inside. It is also best 
to have the first guide and top on a 
bait rod, of agate. 
OD grasps, or grips more properly 
called, are usually made of cork. 
Some rods have grips wound with cane 
or celluloid or twine, but the cork grips 
are always preferable, as they are soft 
and comfortable, beside being light. 
Cork grips on cheap rods are usually 
made of a layer of veneer cork which 
soon comes loose or wears through. 
The better grips are composed of a 
series of cork rings worked down on a 
lathe with sandpaper. 
The shape of a grip is important, 
particularly on a fly rod, as a clumsily 
built grip is very trying on the hand 
and wrist during the course of a day’s 
fishing. The Wells pattern grip for a 
fly rod.is a comfortable one. It is swelled 
at each end and again in the middle, 
(Continued on page 314) 

