something like thirty feet more than 
the nine and a half foot rod. 
HIS is not because the shorter rod 
possesses more inherent power 
than the larger one, but simply be- 
cause no man has yet been ‘discovered 
who can use all the latent energy con- 
tained in a nine and one-half or ten 
foot rod. The nine foot rod is a con- 
venient length to use under almost all 
conditions, and the angler contemplat- 
ing the purchase of one rod only, can 
do no better than to get one of this 
length, weighing from four and 
three-fourths to five and one-half 
ounces. 
The action of the fly-red is of 
the .utmost importance. The 
whippy, willowy type of rod in 
vogue several decades ago has 
been replaced by a far more ef- 
ficient weapon. The demand for 
a rod having backbone and power, 
by an ever-increasing group of 
anglers who have appiied the 
English method of dry fly fishing 
(with modifications) to our 
waters, has resulted in the manu- 
facture of a super fly rod, far 
superior in action and casting 
power to any of the rods made 
fifteen or twenty years ago. 
Wet fly anglers, also, are be- 
ginning to see that they can do 
better work with the dry fly type 
of rod. A whippy rod possesses 
little power either for casting or 
playing the hooked quarry. Ina 
strong wind, the angler using a 
soft rod is almost helpless. Of 
course, there is a limit of stiff- 
ness beyond which a rod virtually 
becomes a club and is suitable 
only for distance work in a 
tournament. 
The ideal fly rod should stand 
out straight, with very little 
droop, when held _ horizontally. 
When whipped smartly as in the 
act of casting, there should be a 
perfect coordination of movement 
from the butt to the end of 
the tip, i. e., there should be no weak 
places or unduly stiff places. At the 
end of the cast, the rod should come 
back into position with practically no 
vibration. By swaying a rod gently, 
holding the butt rigid against the stom- 
ach, one can generally tell whether it 
has any uneven places. 
COMMON fault in fly rods is a ten- 
dency toward an extremely stiff butt 
and middle joint and a weak floppy tip. 
Such a rod will not cast well and further- 
more the weak tip is a constant source 
of danger; that is where the rod will 
ultimately give away. A weak middle 
joint is an abomination and as a cast- 
308 
ing proposition is apt to prove even 
worse than the weak tip. A weak butt 
joint makes for a top-heavy rod, pos- 
sessing little power. From the above 
it will be seen that it is highly im- 
portant to get a rod having an even 
action throughout, with plenty of back- 
bone, yet not unduly stiff. Such a rod 
will be right for either wet or dry fly 
fishing under all conditions. 
Fly rods can be purchased in most 
tackle shops, costing from five dollars 
to sixty or seventy dollars. As with 
anything else, it is always advisable to 
buy the very best that can possibly be 

A good type of bait-casting grip. 
obtained. If the angler purchases one 
of the cheaper machine made rods, cost- 
ing ten or fifteen dollars, he will rarely 
if ever, be able to get the proper action, 
and even if he should find a rod with 
good action, by reason of its cheap con- 
struction it will soon wear out, factory 
made rods never possessing the wearing 
qualities of the hand-made article. At 
from thirty to fifty or sixty dollars, the 
angler can purchase the finest rod in 
the land, made by any one of six or 
eight of America’s leading rod makers. 
A fine hand-made rod should last 
a lifetime with proper care, but 
should it give service for ten years only 
the annual cost would amount to but 
three, four or five dollars. The averag 
angler would probably spend twice thi 
amount using up cheap rods, so it surely 
pays to get a good one at the start ang 
be satisfied as to future results. 1 
HE big brother of the trout and 
bass fly rod is the Salmon rod. A 
rod used for salmon fly fishing is very 
similar to the trout rod in all respects, 
including action, the main difference be- 
ing the size, of course. Salmon rods are 
made in lengths of twelve, thirteen, 
fifteen and sixteen feet, and weigh from 
sixteen to about thirty-four ounces. 
Grilse rods are ten and a half 
to twelve feet in length and are 
merely exaggerated bass fly rods, 
Both salmon and grilse rods are 
fitted with double grips, as both 
hands must be employed in cast- 
ing. The tendency toward lighter 
rods also obtains with reference 
to salmon and grilse rods. Sal- 
mon anglers are now using far 
lighter tackle than they did a 
score of years ago, and are get- 
ting just as good or even better 
results, at the same time deriving 
more pleasure from their sport. 
Several prominent American 
anglers have been experimenting 
with the dry fly on salmon and 
have had good results. They use 
a rod ten feet or ten feet six 
inches long, weighing about seven 
ounces. Trout dry fly methods 
are used throughout. The same 
faults, with reference to action, 
that are found in some trout fly 
rods are also apt to be present 
in salmon rods. The angler can- 
not be too careful in his selection 
of a salmon rod. Plenty of back- 
bone and an even action through- 
out are the essential virtues of a 
good salmon or grilse rod. 
The above completes the list of 
rods that are commonly used for 
fresh water fishing. There are a 
few exceptions, one being a heavy 
stiff bait casting rod used for 
mascalonge fishing. A_ short, 
stiff, stubby rod about three and 4 
half or four feet in length is sometimes 
used for lake trout trolling. | 
FANE type of trolling rod is 
similar to the ordinary bait rod 
about eight or eight and a half feet ir 
length and is equipped with doubl. 
guides set on each side of the rod s 
that the line may be alternated in orde) 
that the rod may keep its shape. 
No rod can be expected to give goo 
service indefinitely unless properly 
cared for. The joints should be care. 
fully wiped at the end of a day’s fish) 
ing and all moisture removed from th) 
(Continued on page 374) { 

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