British firms, such as Hardy and Malloch, claim
full equality. If a British rod is bought do not allow
that monstrosity, the steel core, to be included, nor
patent . lock-joints.
The well-established rule is to buy nothing cheap,
especially in split bamboo. An excellent bamboo rod
can be had for $15.00 and a fair one for
$10.00, though I would not recommend the
latter. Exceptions aside, it is better to take greenheart
or lancewood in the cheaper grades. Greenheart is less
used in America than in England though a tougher and
better wood. The' best lancewoods and greenhearts
cost $4.00 to $8.00. Of course if you can afford it buy
the best rod in the market and pay $25.00 or $30.00
for it. If, however, you are a beginner choose at
first rather a cheaper rod, for you are likely to abuse
it before attaining to proficiency. A poor rod is
good enough to smash and is good to learn on, as a
fine rod is far easier to handle, so that when one is
afterwards purchased the reward will be doubly great.
Fishing 193
Begin then with cheaper goods and purchase better
gradually as your improvement warrants.
Anent the question what make of rod to purchase it
behooves the adviser to practise strict catholicity. It
is obviously quite impossible to prove that Where
the wares of one first-class manufacturer to Buy
outclass those of another, although in this connection
the catalogue claims of the several firms afford very
amusing reading. "We guarantee these rods to be
the best . . . made, except only our Eight-Strip,
etc./' says one New York firm, while another's
"are infinitely superior to anything in the market
exclusive of" another of their own make. A third
firm says, "Our aim was to produce, not as good a
rod as others, but the best. This we have accomplished,
etc." And this bombastic boasting comes, not from
charlatans, but the three supposedly best fishing-
tackle firms in the metropolis! Their claims serve
to offset each other and leave the perplexed pur-
chaser in the same plight as before. As a matter of
fact they are all good. By the time that the novice
has become a veteran he will have plenty of ideas
himself on the subject of the best make; until then
it does n't much matter.
Among Eastern firms carrying first-class rods and other
tackle may be mentioned: in New York: Abercrombie &
Fitch, Abbey & Imbrie, W. Mills & Son, Von Lengerke,
Detmold & Co., " Abercrombie 's," E. Vom Hofe; in Boston:
Iver Johnson Co., W. Read & Sons, Dame, Stoddard & Co.;
in Amherst. Mass.: Montague City Rod Co.; in Worcester,
Mass. : Burtis; in Manchester, Vt. : Chas. F. Orvis; in St. John,
N. B.: C. Baillie, and D. Scribner & Co.; in Halifax: A. M.
Bell; in Montreal: T. W. Boyd; in Quebec: V. & B. Company.
Of course these are by no means the only first-class houses;
13
194 The Way of the Woods
in fact nearly every city, especially those near the fishing
sections, has at least one good tackle firm. I have personally
used rods made (or sold) by the New York and Boston firms
mentioned above and all are good.
It goes without saying, that a complete novice,
without the help of a knowing friend, is quite inca-
pable of testing a rod and is therefore in
the hands of the dealer. Later, when he
again purchases, he will joint the rod in the shop,
attach a reel of the proper weight, and whip it
through the air a number of times, as if in the act of
casting, with a view to testing its balance and action,
and ascertaining whether it feels right, in other words
is the rod for him. He should hold it horizontally,
look along it from butt to tip, and slowly revolve
it ; if well-made its slight curve downward will remain
exactly constant. If he is very careful he will try
a few casts with a line, and he is quite justified in
refusing to buy without this full "whipping test,"
especially in the case of a high-priced rod, for not
every good rod fits every man. A good method
in choosing a cheaper grade is to ask your dealer to
set up one of his best, so that it may be tried alter-
nately with the cheaper rods, in order to select the
one nearest to it in action. The inexperienced should
always buy a rod from a maker or dealer of
reputation.
The angler in American waters will be likely to do
much of his angling in rapid brooks, for which reason
Length and he should choose a rod that is a bit stiffish
Weight rather than very whippy, especially if
he has but one. If the fishing is to be done on small
brooks, such as in the Massachusetts Berkshires,
Fishing 195
the right thing is a rod from eight and a half to nine
feet long and weighing from four to six ounces. It
should be rather stiff, as the overgrown banks often
prevent the use of a landing-net and therefore make
the "derricking out" of the catch imperative. On
large streams or lakes the rod may go to ten feet
and seven ounces, or, for a strong wrist, ten and a half
feet and seven and a half ounces. A very fine rod
is a split bamboo nine or nine and a half feet long
and from four to five ounces in weight, but such
light rods should be of the best workmanship and
are therefore expensive. A trout rod over ten and
a half feet is practically never seen now on this side
of the ocean, and this is long enough in all conscience.
After all an ounce more or less in a rod is not nearly
so important as the balance. A well-balanced rod
that fits the hand is far less tiring than a poorly
balanced one a couple of ounces lighter. Any addi-
tional weight should, however, lie under or behind
the hand.
Nearly all American rods are made in three pieces:
the butt, second joint, and top, 1 an extra top always
being furnished with every rod. One
need not concern oneself about the style J
of ferrule used in joining the parts, whether plain
insertion, dowel, or some patent "lock-joint." In a
good American rod every joint will be strong and
fast ; at least in all my experience I have never found
1 In order to prevent confusion I choose here and elsewhere
the proper designation for the upper joint of a rod, as the
American innovation, "tip," is, correctly speaking, the
metal or agate ring through which the line passes as it leaves
the rod, and not the whole upper joint.
196 The Way of the Woods
one that was at all loose, and can therefore see no
advantage in adding unnecessary weight in the form
of some extra lock or grip. It throws an unfavourable
light upon the quality of British ferrules that these
devices are at home only on the other side of the
water. The simple joint is preferable to the dowel,
as the latter must increase the stiffness of the rod
by lengthening the joint, the ideal rod being in one
piece (spliced) with an equal bend from butt-cap
to tip, like the Castle Connell rods of Ireland. One-
piece rods are, however, so difficult to transport that
they are seldom made in this country. Welted ferrules
are generally furnished with good rods.
Nearly all ferrules are made of highly polished
metal, so that they tend to frighten the fish; therefore
have them oxidised or otherwise dulled.
Guides, through which the line passes from reel to
tip, are made in several styles, all rods of cheap or
G ., medium grade being furnished with rings
of white metal whipped to the rod with
silk by means of "keepers." More expensive rods
generally have some kind of standing guides, the
so-called "snake guide" being the favourite, made
of steel or German silver. The problem is to reduce
to a minimum the friction of the line against the
guides, to facilitate casting. For this purpose guides
are often made of very smooth substances, such as
composition "adamant" and the much more expen-
sive agate, the latter, almost frictionless, being the
best. These substances, however, increase the weight
of the rod, and hence, except occasionally nearest the
reel, they are seldom used on fly-rods. It is of decided
advantage to have an adamant or agate guide next the
Fishing 197
reel, as the line forms a considerable angle with the
guide at this point, thus increasing the friction. On
very light fly-rods they are not used.
Fly-tips are generally made of white metal rings,
but one of adamant, or, better still, agate, is to be
recommended, since the greatest amount
of friction is generated here. In casting
the use of agate tips and first guides makes a very
noticeable difference, while they save much wear on
the line. In buying metal ring tips get the very best,
as the cheaper grades wear out the line grievously.
The wrappings on rods are of the finest and strongest
silk, and are whipped on the rod, if it be a high-class
bamboo, at intervals of not over an inch, -,,
Wrapping
the object being strength, since the six or
eight strips of which bamboo rods are composed are
otherwise held together only by glue. It is the unfor-
tunate custom of makers to deck out their rods with
several different-coloured silks of the gaudiest tints,
which,* added to the varnished brightness of the aver-
age bamboo, completes a rod which scintillates in the
sun like a heliograph, and is apt to frighten all the
trout in a pool into fits. Greenheart and bethabara
rods have the advantage of being wrapped in silk
of soberer colours, a benefit too often neutralised by
the use of polished metals, such as German silver
and nickel, for ferrules and reel-mountings, which
should be oxidised (see Repairing).
Nearly every maker has some patent method of
fastening the reel to the rod, nearly all being efficient,
The Way of the Woods
Reel-seat
though some admit the use of certain kinds of
reels only. The simplest are likely to be the lightest
and best. Very light rods are often equipped
with merely a socket for one end of the
reel cross-piece and a sliding ring to
go over the other, the natural wood
of the rod being left without reel-
seat. Reel-seats are generally of
metal, though hard rubber is lighter
and quite strong enough.
Butt -cap
The butt of the rod is covered with
the butt-cap, which in this country is
generally made of thin
metal, so thin in fact that
it easily dents, or, in the case of a fall
by its owner, is even smashed to
pieces. A rod, is, to be sure, not
meant to be used as a staff, but there
are many times, as when balancing
on the slippery rocks of northern
streams, when it is involuntarily so
used to avoid a nasty fall. In such
cases the rubber button which the
British screw to the butts of their
rods seems an excellent thing, being
inexpensive and easily replaced. For
light rods they would be unnecessary.
/TV j i_ ji j FIG. 29. British
Trout-rod handles are made of u ... ^ .
Handle with Butt-
many materials, such as cork, wood, Button
snake-skin, cork or wood
wound with cane or with twine, hard
rubber, and several kinds of composition. Of all
Fishing
199
t
these the " solid cork" handle is considered the most
satisfactory, especially for lighter rods, as it is very
light and offers a good grip. It is made of a number of
graded disks of cork fitted together round the rod,
which passes through holes in
their centres. Another sort of
cork handle, used only in cheap
rods, is made of thin sheets of
cork glued over swelled wooden
handles. These latter, called
simply "cork handles" in the
catalogues, are very flimsy. The
real cork handle is always
called "solid" in American
catalogues. If your rod is
equipped with a cheap sheet-
cork handle have it wound with
thin twine, or do it yourself,
and you will have an excellent
handle. Hard rubber, celluloid,
and most polished woods are
Swelled " to slippery for this purpose;
Handle snake-skin affords a good grip
but wears poorly. The gently
swelled handle is pretty universal for
single-handed rods, but "shaped"
handles, swelled at each end as well as
in the middle, are sometimes made,
especially in England. FIG. 31. Shaped
Handle
This is a short handle into which the whole of the
rest of the rod fits. Its principal advan- Independent
tages are best described by Mr. H. P. Handle
Wells in Fly- Rods and Fly-Tackle:
FIG. 30
200 The Way of the Woods
"Use a handle with a ferrule immediately above it or,
better still, sunk into it to receive the butt joint, the whole
so arranged that while the handle remains still, the butt
joint can be turned readily, so as to present the rings either
beneath or on top of the rod. One handle will thus do for
all single-handed fly-rods, heavy or light. You can cast
with the rings underneath or above, while the reel always
remains in its normal and only convenient position that
below the hand and under the handle and you can change
from one to the other as your fancy dictates. Also in order-
ing or making a new rod, you will not only save the expense
of a new handle and its furniture, but avoid the temptation
to use strong language when you find your old reels will not
fit. Again, your rod, even if of inferior material, will always
remain straight and uniform in action."
Of course the butt joint is turned only half-way
round when the rings are to be used on top, so that
the line will extend, not completely round the butt,
but only half-way in a long curve, and in this position
it will render freely.
This idea of the independent handle is an excellent one,
but, so far as I know, it is not made by any manufacturer
as a stock article, or, at any rate, not advertised. If any
amateur wishes to start a collection of rods with one uni-
versal independent handle he can do no better than to ask
his maker to proceed on the lines laid down by Mr. Wells on
page 247 et seq. of his book.
Trunk-rods are made in from four to six or seven
joints short enough to be carried in an ordinary
trunk. Although convenient for trans-
Trunk -rods ,. ,, ,,
portation they are, except the most
expensive, of poor action and not to be recommended.
American rods are usually sold with a light plush
or cloth-covered wooden form, made with grooves
Fishing 201
into which the several joints fit, the form being kept
in a canvas bag. For extensive travelling and for
storage purposes round leather and fibre
cases are made in several qualities to hold
from one to half a dozen rods, the strongest being
of sole leather and costing from $10.00 to $15.00.
Cheaper cases of fortified canvas may be had for
$1.00 and are excellent for canoe trips. Another
kind of case, particularly suitable for transportation,
is simply a long, narrow wooden box with straps,
lock, and handles.
The worthy angler looks after his rods with the
same assiduity as the cavalryman does his horse, and
he reaps his just reward, for, with care, a Care of
poor rod will last longer and keep in better Rods
condition than one of high price which is maltreated.
See that form and case are prefectly dry and clean
before putting away the rod, having previously
wiped the rod dry, handle, ferrules, and all. See
that no foreign substances remain in the ferrules.
If the rod is not kept in an inflexible form do not tie
string or tape round the middle of the case or bag,
and be sure to store standing vertically, or, if hor-
izontally, so that it rests equally upon its entire
length. If set away without unjointing see that it
stands vertically as nearly as possible, or, if laid
horizontally upon pegs, have enough of them to
prevent any strain on any part of the rod. The best
way to put away a jointed rod is to hang it up by
the tip. Rods should not be left long in . too low
an atmosphere. Before jointing see that the ferrules
are quite clean. Mr. Wells recommends that they
be greased, but I greatly prefer a smoother lubricant,
202 The Way of the Woods
the best I know being Dixon's graphitoleo, which
comes conveniently in small tubes. If the ferrules
stick obstinately when unjointing do not adopt
such radical measures as jerking impatiently; ask a
friend to hold one joint while you pull on the other,
but be careful to twist the rod only very slightly or
the ferrules will be weakened. Do not indulge in a
regular tug-of-war if the joints refuse to part, but
heat the ferrule by holding a coal or a match near
it, being careful not to burn the wood. The best
cure for sticking is the use of graphitoleo before
jointing. If no other lubricant is handy rub the
male ferrule against your perspiring nose, or rub
with a lead pencil. If lubrication fails to cure the
sticking malady recourse must be had to the finest
emery-dust, with which the male ferrule is rubbed,
but great care must be taken, as emery pares down
German silver with great rapidity and a few seconds'
overrubbing will spoil the ferrule.
The moment a real mechanical defect appears,
such as a loosened ferrule or tip or a frayed wrapping,
repair it at once. Never use your rod if minus even
one guide, or it is likely to be badly strained. (See
below under Repairing.)
To joint a rod, fit the top to the second joint, being
careful to bring the guides in exact line. (Each pair
of ferrules is provided with indented dots which must
be brought immediately opposite each other.) Then
fit the two jointed parts to the butt. Be sure that the
ferrules are inserted to their full length. The reel is
then fitted to the reel-seat and the line drawn through
the guides. It sometimes happens that a rod must be
jointed in a canoe or boat, in which case the reel may
be affixed first and the line drawn through the guides
Fishing 203
before jointing, pulling off enough line for the parts
to be laid beside one another unjointed. Care must
be taken when jointing that the line does not foul
nor take a false twist round the rod. If you find
that even the slightest mistake has been made in
setting up, do not use the rod in that condition but
rectify the mistake at once.
To unjoint, untie the leader, withdraw the line,
and unjoint first at the butt. If the rod is to be used
again shortly with the same tackle the line may be
left in the guides and wound loosely round the
unjointed parts.
Never put a rod away wet, or any tackle for that
matter. Never leave it out all night leaning against
the tent, as many anglers do. The moisture will
before long hurt the varnish and certainly the reel
and line. Do not fish continuously with the reel
under (or pver) the rod, but reverse the rod every
little while and use it in that position, in order to
equalise the strain, as otherwise even the best rod
will likely be "set" to one side. At the end of the
season straighten and varnish your rod or have it
done by your dealer, renewing all frayed wrappings
and testing for looseness and cracks. (See Repairing.)
Reels
For fly-fishing the perfect reel should be:
1. Single-action, i.e., in the form of a simple
winch, and not a so-called "multiplier,' 1 Qualities of
or, worse yet, an automatic, both these a Good Reel
being unnecessary and unsportsmanlike.
2. It should hold thirty or thirty-five yards of No.
E enamelled silk line; for, though most fishermen are
unable to cast well more than twenty yards and are
204 The Wa Y of the Woods
very seldom called upon to use much more, it is well
to have a certain reserve of line on the reel in case
of accident or wearing, and the fuller the reel the
larger the spool on which the line is wound, and
therefore the faster to wind.
3. It should be oxidised, or of some dull material
(bronze, rubber) that will not
reflect the light and frighten the
fish.
4. It should have a protected
handle, i.e., one that does not
project more than f inch out
from the side of the reel and con-
sists of a single simple wooden nib
FIG. 32, British Reel , . ^ 1 1 ^
revolving on a metal shaft and
tapers slightly towards its outer end, so that, if the
line is caught by the nib, as often happens, it will
slip off automatically.
(It will be seen that this condemns all so-called "balance
handle " reels, the handles of which protrude to such an
extent that the line is constantly being fouled in them, an
annoying state of things by no means helped by the double
ends.)
5. The edges of the reel which come in contact
with the line as it is pulled or reeled off should be
so rounded that they will not wear the line. Most
cheap reels offend against this rule. The mischief is
not done in reeling in, but in pulling off extra line for
a longer cast with the free hand, this being done for
the most part over the sides of the reel.
6. The reel should be of the right weight to
balance the rod, and this can be ascertained only by
experiment. It is generally true that the lighter the
tackle the better, but this does not mean, for example,
Fishing 205
that an aluminum reel will properly balance every
rod; on the contrary it is sure to be too light for
anything over 4 or 4^ ounces.
If the above rules be sound, and I believe that the
great majority of expert fly-fishermen will so regard
them, it is apparent that most
so-called trout reels cannot be
recommended for fly-fishing.
The multiplying system and
the balance handle are, with
the exception of the abomi-
nable automatic reels, most
to blame, and no amount of
bejewelling and expert work- FIG 33 ._ American Trout
manship can save them in the Reel with protected Handle
eyes of the true sportsman.
They lighten the work of the angler, retrieving
his line for him at a double or quadruple pace,
so that the fish, already at sufficient disadvantage,
has little chance for its life; and in cases when even
an expert gets into trouble, such as when the fish
takes refuge in weeds or bolts down a rapid, they
are of no help at all.
The British manufacture only single-action reels.
The Hardy Brothers' "Perfect" and "Bougie"
reels are all that an angler could desire, and the same
may be said for the Malloch (Perth) gun-metal reels
and especially the "Sun and Planet" ($4.00 to $6.00).
At home we have some excellent fly-reels, among
them the B. F. Meek single-action trout-reel ($15.00).
This is made of German silver, but the Messrs.
Meek assure me that they will cheerfully oxidise
their reels when desired. The Talbot "Ben Hur"
reel ($10.00) may be recommended, as I take for
206 The Way of the Woods
granted it can be had oxidised as well as in bright
nickel. The common single-action hard rubber reels
are many of them good, $3.50 being the medium
price. Among very cheap reels may be mentioned
the Abbey & Imbrie " Revolving Disc" ($1.50), and
especially the Meisselbach " Ex-
pert ' ' and ' ' Feather-weight ' J
reels, as they possess the great
advantages of simple construc-
tion and generous spool, en-
abling one to wind in the line
very fast. They can always be
had oxidised. Beyond their
FIG. aZ^Tte" Expert" rather crude construction (com-
R ee ^ pared with high-priced wares),
their only weaknesses are their
sharp edges and the fact that tapered lines cannot
well be used in them, as the thin ends are apt
to catch in the rims. They are in other respects
ideal low-priced reels. The forty-yard "Expert"
costs $1.60 and is heavy enough to balance a
five- to seven-ounce rod. The "Feather-weight"
costs the same and is for a very light rod; in
fact it is so lightly made as to be somewhat easily
broken. The ease with which the Meisselbach reels
can be taken apart and cleaned is a great advan-
tage. The Orvis reel ($2.50), if oxidised, is a fine
article.
As a parting advice on this subject, never go into
the woods without a spare reel.
Use only the very best oil in good reels
and that very sparingly, in order not to
clog the mechanism. Every good reel should be
Fishing 207
kept in a leather case, or at least a stout bag, to
keep the dust out.
Lines
The requisites of the perfect fly-line are strength,
durability, smoothness, and extreme flexibility, and
these are found in the best modern "enam-
elled silk" waterproof line, though only in
the best qualities, costing, for twenty-five yards of size
E level, from $1.25 to $2.00. They are made of the
finest braided silk, waterproofed in a vacuum, so that
the waterproofing will penetrate to the core and
thus prevent rotting, even when the enamel, which
envelops and glosses the line, is broken.
Any neutral colour is good, the favourite being a
mixture of green and black.
For trout-fishing in swift running water level lines
are used, i.e. , such as are of the same thickness through-
out. Size E is generally preferred for rods Level or
weighing over 4^- ounces, as its weight Tapered
enables it to be easily cast, especially in a wind.
F may be used with rods not powerful enough for E.
The important point is that the line shall run out to
the rod's (and the angler's) casting capacity with