1'% 5/1 i 1 Coi5yrightN"___ CDPBilCHT DEPOSm i, PRACTICAL FLY FISHING THE MACMILLAN COMPANY NEW YORK • BOSTON • CHICAGO • DALLAS ATLANTA • SAN FRANCISCO MACMILLAN & CO., Limited LONDON . BOMBAY • CALCUTTA MELBOURNE THE MACMILLAN CO. OF CANADA, Ltd. TORONTO Practical Fly Fishing BY LARRY ST. JOHN Author of "Practical Bait Casting." I13eto gorb THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 1920 All rights reserved .Si Copyright, 1920, BY THE MACMILLAN COMPANY Set up and electrotyped. Published, February, 1920 FEB 191920 ©CI.A561904 a ? 5 THIS LITTLE BOOK IS SYMPATHETICALLY DEDICATED TO THE WOMEN THE WORLD OVER WHO HAVE BEEN SO UNFORTUNATE AS TO MARRY MEN WHO GO A-FISHING! FOREWORD Here then is " Practical Fly Fishing," a companion book to my '' Practical Bait Casting," and like that lit- tle work this is offered mainly as a text book to help the novice through places where there is rocky bottom, rough water and other hard wading. It will be noted that I have devoted more space, proportionately, to fly fishing for black bass than have other writers, for the following reasons: the more general distribution of the bass offers a far greater number of anglers an opportunity to take them on a fly rod ; it is a phase of angling that is becoming amaz- ingly popular; it is a subject that most angling writers have neglected and on which there is little definite data. I acknowledge with thanks permission granted me by the publishers of the " Chicago Tribune " to include here some material that I had w^ritten for their col- umns. I also thank Call J. McCarthy for posing for pictures; Oscar G. Lundberg for taking them; Wil- liam Mills & Son, Abbey & Imbrie and Hardy Brothers for permission to reproduce illustrations from their catalogues and many brothers of the angle who have otherwise assisted me — may the South Wind always blow when they go a-angling. Larry St. John. CONTENTS PAGE Historical ii Tackle 22 Tackle (Continued) 33 Reels 49 Flies 74 Apparel 93 Biological loi Preparatory 133 Casting 137 Strategy 148 PRACTICAL FLY FISHING HISTORICAL FISHING IN GENERAL AND FLY FISHING IN PARTICULAR THE Beginning. The beginning of the ancient and honorable art of taking fishes with an angle Is lost In the dim, misty reaches of the past before men made a pictured or written record of events. Nearly all ancient peoples, however, had their quaint and curious fables on the origin of angling and many of these legends tell us that the art was handed down to men from the Gods which Is, Indeed, a reason- able supposition. The earliest authentic mention of angling we find in the Book of Job, written about 1500 B.C. The Lord asks him.: " Canst thou draw out Leviathan with a hook?" Fish hooks are also mentioned by Amos (IV, 2) written 787 B.C., and the prophecies of Isaiah (XIX, 8), written 760 B.C., sound a warn- ing to unrighteous fishermen: ''The fishers shall mourn and all they that cast angles Into the brooks shall lament and they that spread nets on the waters shall languish." II 12 PRACTICAL FLY FISHING In Egypt, the civilization contemporary with that of the Hebrews, angling was no doubt practiced in remote times. Lake Moeris was constructed for a fishing pond about 1500 b. c. and in later days Plu- tarch tells of the prank played by Cleopatra on Mark Antony. They were fishing together, you will re- member, and Mark had divers go down and fasten big lunkers to his hook, which he pulled up in a matter- of-fact way, as if it were an everyday occurrence with him. Cleopatra detected the fraud, however, and in- vited a number of her friends to come the next day and see what a mighty angler was Mark. Then she had her divers go down and fasten a salted fish to his hook which sort of took the wind out of his sails, so to speak. The Greeks were fond of angling, and Homer men- tions the art several times while with the Romans, who understood fly fishing, it amounted to almost a passion and at least one prominent citizen of that great city was ruined financially by spending too much money on elaborate fish ponds. The poet Oppian saved his father from the wrath of the Emperor Severus by writing a book on angling and many other classical writers were interested in the subject. Fly Fishing. Although fly fishing was probably practiced much earlier the first mention of it is made by iElian in his " History of Animals," written about 230 A. D. He describes a fly with a purple body and red hackles which was cast with a rod about eight feet long on a line of the same length and trout fisher- HISTORICAL 13 men must derive considerable pleasure in the fact that this pioneer fly was used to catch " speckled fishes." The fly itself is still in use, being the pattern known as the red hackle. It is a killing trout fly and fairly good for bass. Every true fly fisherman should carry one if only for its association. The story of this fly is charmingly told by Mary Orvis Marbury in her " Favorite Flies and Their Histories." It has been said that our Saxon ancestors earned the tribal designation " Anglo " because of their great skill in hook and line fishing, but it is quite probable that fly fishing was introduced into the British Isles by the Romans. They are also said to have introduced red chickens into Britain and we venture the theory that they took them there not only for cock fighting but to be assured of plenty of red hackles! II The Treatyse One of the very first books printed in the English language was a sporting work: "The Boke of St. Albans." This volume was printed by Caxton in 1496 and contained, in the second edition, the famous " Treatyse of Fyshynge with an Angle," generally at- tributed to Julianna Berners " Prioress of the nunnery of Sopewell, near St. Albans, a lady of noble family and celebrated for her learning and accomplishments." The book contains a number of the crude drawings of that day and, as Marston points out, these old 14 PRACTICAL FLY FISHING " cutts " have led many to believe that the text is equally impractical although, as a matter of fact, it contains not a little fishing sense and certainly the Good Dame's praises of angling and her advice on the ethics of the game are decidedly worth-while. The " Treatyse " mentions a number of flies (including the red hackle of i^^lian) that still are in use. Walton, Barker and Cotton This work was followed by a number of other an- gling books but the crowning glory of all angling literature Is that sweet, simple Idyl " The Compleat Angler," written by Izaak Walton, In his 6oth year, and first published In London In 1653. It was un- fortunate, however, that Father Izaak was not much of a fly fisher himself but got much of his information on the subject from Thomas Barker who wrote a small book entitled " Barker's Delight or the Art of Angling." Barker, by the way, did not have Walton's quaint and appealing viewpoint nor his writing ability but he was, I imagine, a more finished and practical angler. Besides assisting Walton with his fly fishing problems, he has the distinction of being the first angling writer to write a practical treatise on tying flies; to distin- guish between hackles, palmers and winged flies; to describe fly fishing for salmon; to mention a reel and gafi, and to point out the possibilities of getting big fish at night. Says Walton: "I find that Mr. Thomas Barker (A Gentleman who has spent much HISTORICAL 15 time and money in angling) deals so judiciously and freely in a little book of his of angling and especially of making and angling with a fly for trout, that I will give you his directions without much variation." Note, dear reader, that Barker ** spent much time and money in angling " and be solemnly warned that he ended his days In an almshouse — which Is where most of us are likely to go if good fishing tackle does not become cheaper! Subsequent editions of Walton's Angler contained chapters on fly fishing by Charles Cotton. Cotton had the reputation of being something of a *' village cut-up " In his day, but It being unbecoming to point out the short-comings of a brother of the angle I will not dwell on this. That he was an expert fly fisher and a close friend of the simple, pious Iz. Wa., and was privileged to address him as " Father," convinces us that he was a young man of many admirable quali- ties. Apology Our object in writing this brief and necessarily in- complete historical sketch of angling and fly fishing of olden da5's Is to trace the evolution of our subject mainly and also to impress upon the young angler, whether he be young in years or j^oung in experience, that in taking up scientific angling he at once becomes one of a great brotherhood and practices an art that is of ancient and honorable lineage — the only pastime. Incidentally, that has produced a literary classic. Men i6 PRACTICAL FLY FISHING of science, art, letters, statecraft and holy callings, from times immemorial, have hearkened to the call of the waters; have been thrilled by the swirling of lusty fishes and consoled by the song of the south wind and have been made " merie in Spyryte " and consequently better men thereby. Early Bass Fishing One of the very first to write of black bass fishing was Bartram, the naturalist. In 1764 he wrote an account of " bobbing " in Florida for ** trout " as black bass are still called in the South. This method, some- what similar to " skittering," as practiced in the North, consists of manipulating a large treble hook concealed in a tuft of bucktail hair and red feathers called a " bob." This " bob " is tied to a very short, strong line on a long pole. ** The steersman paddles softly and proceeds slowly along shore; he now ingeniously swings the bob backwards and forwards, just above the surface and sometimes tips the water with it, when the unfortunate cheated trout instantly springs from under the reeds and seizes the supposed prey." Bobbing is still practiced but one could hardly call bobbing fly fishing although similar to it in principle and not differing a great deal from the " fly fishing " methods no doubt pursued by our cave-men ancestors in the brave days of old. HISTORICAL 17 First Bass Fly Fishers The first fly fishers for bass undoubtedly were the early residents of northern Kentucky, the same good people who developed bait casting and brought the multiplying reel to its present perfection. These men were of British ancestry, educated and of more than ordinary abilities in many ways. Some of them were well-to-do ; all of them found ample leisure to indulge their hobby. We suppose that they, or their fore- bears, brought fly tackle with them from their old homes and northern Kentucky, being neither moun- tainous nor far enough north for trout, they no doubt used this tackle for taking the bass that were plentiful in the near-by streams. Dr. Henshall informs me that the first man to take up fly fishing for bass seriously was J. L. Sage, the reel maker of Frankfort, Ky., later of Lexington. He made a rod and reel especially for fishing for black bass with flies as early as 1848. Northern Writers While these early bass fishers were plying their craft in Kentucky, bass fishing did not receive the at- tention it deserved in the North. Frank Forester (Henry W. Herbert), the popular sporting writer of his day, probably never caught a black bass. In an appendix to his "Field Sports" (1847) he says: "Other fish there are, the name of which is legion; the best, perhaps, of these, and the most sporting — after the Trout — is the Black Bass of the lakes, 1 8 PRACTICAL FLY FISHING which will rise freely to a large red and gray fly, made of Macaw, or parrot and Silver Pheasant or Guinea Fowl. . . . There is also a fish called " Trout " to the southward, which is certainly not a trout, though I do not know its correct appellation, which is eagerly pursued and considered a game fish." The " trout," of course, is none other than our friend the large- mouthed black bass. Brown in his "American Anglers Guide" (1849) went the limit in misinformation by stating that " the black bass has a swallow tail." Dr. Bethune, the first American editor of Walton's " Angler," a bookish man and a good fisherman, had a better idea of the bass than any of his contemporaries. In one of his notes (1848) he says: ". . . it is impossible to refrain from a brief notice of that fish which is, next to the Salmon family, most prized by the American angler in fresh waters. Angling for him may be begun in June, when he is to be found in about 14 feet of water, among the grass. . . . Nothing can exceed the vigor and liveliness of his play; for he will try every art, even to flinging himself high out of the water, that he may shake off the hook ; and the rod must not be kept perpendicular, but moved in various directions, and sometimes even partly sub- merged, to counteract his rushes, and hold him under the surface. . . . The bass takes the fly freely; a favorite fly being made on a stout hook (the fish's mouth is large) with wings of scarlet cloth and a body of white feather. Other colors have been tried though HISTORICAL 19 not to much advantage. But the best fly is made of scarlet feather or cloth (which is better) with a piece of pickerel's tongue, cut in a fork so as to hang from the bend of the hook." The latter to this day is a favorite lure of the bait caster, but, almost needless to say, not of the fly fisherman! The only mention of the bass by Thad. Norris in his "American Anglers Book" (1864) states that he caught them skittering a spoon. Genio Scott in his "Fishing in American Waters" (1869) says nothing more of the bass than : " This fish is taken by casting an artificial fly or by trolling with a feathered spoon, with a minnow impaled on a gang of hooks and form- ing spinning tackle." Robert Roosevelt in his " Su- perior Fishing" (1865) says: "That evening was devoted to the black bass which took fly and spoon greedily " but as trolling a fly was more commonly practiced than casting it he probably used that method. That the sport of fly fishing for bass was a long time in getting general recognition may be seen by re- ferring to the files of Forest and Stream, where one will find that a spirited controversy was waged in the early '70's on the subject of whether or not a black bass will rise to a fly ! Father of Black Bass Fishing The title of " The Father of Black Bass Fishing " has been earned by Dr. James Alexander Henshall. It was his writings in the periodicals and particularly his "Book of the Black Bass" (1881) that popular- 20 PRACTICAL FLY FISHING ized bass fishing in America. His prophecy made in this book that the black bass would eventually become the game fish of the people has been borne out by events. Dr. Henshall was trained as a surgeon but gave up that calling to engage in fish culture — work that ap- pealed more to his tastes — and his efforts along these lines were crowned with unusual success. At this writing (December, 191 8) he is hale and hearty at the ripe age of 83, bearing out Dame Berners' testimony that angling assures " that your aege may be the more floure and the lenger to endure." Present and Future At present fly fishing for bass is enjoying a great re- vival, more interest being taken in it than in many years and as the advance of civilization unfortunately destroys more trout streams and requires trout fishers to travel farther, many of them, by necessity, will turn to waters nearer home and cast their fraudulent feathers to the doughty knight in shining, green armor that " inch for inch, pound for pound, is the gamest fish that swims." Early Trout Fishing The early history of fly fishing for trout in this country is just as disappointing as that of fly fishing for bass. Capt. John Smith in his " A Description of New England," published in 16 16, said: "Much salmon some haue found vp the Riuers as they haue HISTORICAL 21 passed," but the doughty captain was no sportsman, for in his description of cod fishing he said : " And is it not pretty sport to pvll vp two pence, six pence and twelue pence as fast as you can hale and veare a h'ne ! " But there is no doubt that the amazing abun- dance of fish life had much to do in attracting men to the New World and several of these old chroniclers made mention of *' troute," meaning our common char, found in all New England 'brooks, and of the land locked salmon in Maine waters. The first American anglers practiced their art along the Atlantic sea board. Frank Forrester in the first American edition of Walton's " Angler " (1847) gives a detailed description of trout fishing on Long Island and the editor of that fine edition of Walton, Dr. Bethune, gives many illuminating notes on trouting in his day. Daniel Webster and many other anglers an- nually journeyed to Cape Cod, attracted by the good trouting to be had there. TACKLE CONCERNING THE TOOLS OF THE CRAFT TACKLE is something that anglers use part of the time and talk about and tinker with all of the time. No man can say what the proper tackle is for any kind of fishing as every experienced angler is likely to have ideas of his own on that sub- ject. There are, however, certain conclusions that genera- tions of skilled anglers have reached through cumula- tive experience and these are here set down for the benefit of the beginner and the inexpert; I also in- clude some opinions of my own and permission is hereby granted the reader to disagree with me. It is natural for an angler to love fine tackle and he should buy the best whenever he can. However, all anglers are not rich men and this is especially true of bass fishermen since the black bass, because of his wide distribution, is essentially a poor man's game fish. For this reason I have tried to cover the tackle subject as practically as possible because it is appropri- ate, not necessarily expensive, tackle that makes fly fishing a pleasure in itself regardless of the heft of one's basket at the end of the day. 22 TACKLE 23 THE ROD Historical The " rods " used by the earliest anglers evidently were of native cane of some sort or switches cut " a la small boy " from the stream side. The earliest de- scription of a rod and its making, will be found in Berners' ** Treatyse." She goes into detail on the selection and curing of the wood and the making of the rod which, if followed out carefully, would produce a fairly good fishing tool of well seasoned and cor- rectly proportioned wood. The early fly fishermen of Kentucky caught their bass with rods of native reed, lo to 14 feet in length and weighing from 4 to 6 ounces. Used with the finest line and excellent reels of their own manufacture, it is apparent that their tackle was as light and neat, if not as luxurious, as what we use to-day. Dr. Bethune (1848) describes the rod of his choice as follows: '' A fly rod should not be more than 14% feet at the farthest ; the butt solid, for you need weight there to balance the instrument and your spare tips will be carried more safely in the handle of your land- ing net. ... A rod in 3 pieces is preferred at the stream but inconvenient to carry and, if well made, four will not interfere materially with its excellence; i. e. : the butt of Ash, the first joint of hickor}^ the second of lancewood and the tip of East India bam- boo or, as I like better, the extreme of the tip of 24 PRACTICAL FLY FISHING whalebone well spliced on. The rod should be sen- sibly elastic down to the hand, but proportionately so, for if one part seem not proportionately pliant, the rod is weak somewhere. In some rods there is what is called the double action and such a one I used for years and thought nothing could be better; but, on trying another stiffer, though at first awkward in its use, I learned to like it better." Combination Wood Rods Early American fly rods were often made up of different woods, as described by Dr. Bethune and Wells expresses a preference for this type of wood rod. They are still thus made, and sold for very low prices in England, but American makers do not catalog them. This is regrettable since a rod with butt of second growth white ash and middle joint and tip of lance or greenheart can be made and sold for a few dollars and is ideal for the beginner who can afford to invest only a very small amount in a fly rod. At present the most favored fly rod materials are steel, solid woods and split bamboo. Steel Rods A present-day steel rod of the better class is won- derfully well made, being of a high class of material imported especially for the purpose. The steel rod is an excellent tool for certain kinds of fishing but the steel fly rod is very heavy and has a listless action com- pared with a rod of wood or bamboo, although con- TACKLE 25 siderable improvement has been made in them of late years. Compared with the old st54e steel rod the extra light weight model handles a line fairly well and when wrapped solidly with silk it is enormously strong. A friend who fishes for the heavy bass in Florida uses a rod of this kind and speaks highly of it. The regular steel rod of 9 feet weighs 8^4 ounces; the extra light weight style about 5^ ounces. All Wood Rods Wells in his " Fly Rods and Fly Tackle " lists and describes more than 20 kinds of wood suitable for rod making but modern makers have settled upon lancewood, dagama, greenheart and bethabarra as be- ing the most satisfactory. Practically every angling writer and rod maker ad- vises the purchase of a good wood rod if the angler cannot afford a hand-made one of split bamboo. In another work ^ I have disagreed with this advice as regards the short bait casting rod, but as an unusual amount of skill and very good material are required to make a first class bamboo fly rod perhaps a well-made wood rod is the proper tool for the angler wishing to invest only a small amount, or for the beginner who, later on, may acquire more positive opinions as to what constitutes a good fly rod. Later, I will discuss the cheap bamboo rod. In considering the purchase of a wood rod the angler must bear in mind that the merits of the sticks 1 " Practical Bait Casting"; Macmillan Co.; New York, 1918. 26 PRACTICAL FLY FISHING used in making a rod have much to do with the ex- cellence of the finished product. Lancewood Perhaps I am prejudiced as regards lancewood as my first fly rod was of that material and nobly did it perform. The best type of lancewood rod probably is made up with an ash butt as rods made entirely of lancewood are a trifle heavy although some anglers prefer them. Lancewood comes from Cuba, the best sticks being light yellow in color and free from dark stains. One of the largest American tackle houses claims that lancewood has lost favor mainly because of inferior material being sold as this wood. A first class hand made rod of lance can be bought for about six dollars; a nine footer weighs about 6^ ounces. Dagama Dagama also comes from Cuba and is similar to lancewood but is said to be more durable and free from pin knots. It is heavier than lance, a nine foot rod weighing 6I/2 ounces, and a rod of this material costs about one dollar more. Greenheart In England greenheart is the most popular rod making material, not excepting bamboo, although the latter is making great headway as its merits become bet- TACKLE 27 ter known. Greenheart comes from South America and is of the color of walnut, being strong and fairly resilient. It takes a nice finish and makes a handsome rod but compared with bamboo it is somewhat heavy and not quite as " snappy " in action — which is true of all wood rods. Most of the greenheart used in this country comes from England where tackle makers have become skilled in the selection, cutting and curing of this wood. A good British greenheart rod can be bought in England for a few dollars and an excellent one laid down in America costs from eight to tw^elve dollars, depending on fittings. A good American maker lists his green- heart rods at nine dollars. An average English-made greenheart rod of 9 feet will weigh 7 ounces. Bethabarra Bethabarra, or washaba, is the most expensive wood commonly used in rod making. It is a dark wood coming from British Guiana and is very strong and many anglers prefer it to any other wood. It is slightly heavier than greenheart and is said to hold its shape better. A nine foot American made betha- barra rod weighs about 6% ounces and costs eleven dollars. A superior selection is sold under the name noibwood. Bamboo Beyond a doubt the best fly rod material is good bamboo properly selected, cured, split, glued, and cor- 28 PRACTICAL FLY FISHING rectly proportioned. It possesses strength combined with lightness, resiliency, pliancy, power and balance in greater degree than either steel or solid woods. Formerly anglers and rod makers could draw fine distinctions between male and female Calcutta and Tonkin " canes," but under present conditions good Calcutta is very rare and the word " Calcutta " is be- coming merely a trade term. Good bamboo of all kinds is more difficult to obtain and a good piece of Tonkin is better than an indifferent one of Calcutta. Male Calcutta, however, is supposed to be superior to either the female or Tonkin. The cheapest split cane is known as steel vine or African cane. It is light colored and makes up into good, inexpensive fly rods. Six Strip and Eight Strip We assume that you know that bamboo is split and then glued together in order to utilize the hard outer enamel and reduce the diameter of the pieces. Some rods are made of bamboo split into six sections (hex- agonal) and some in eight (octagonal) but the six strip construction is more often used. Some makers claim that the eight strip, being more nearly a true cylinder, possesses better action but this seems to be more theoretical than practical, while the tiny tips of an eight strip rod are likely to be *' soft " due to the comparative amount of glue necessary to hold the pieces together. Eight strip rods cost more than the six strip and if the angler wants a round rod they are preferable to the six strip planed down as planing cer- TACKLE 29 tainly must injure a rod. As a general rule a well- made six strip rod leaves little to be desired. Special Feature Rods A novelty in bamboo rod making is w^hat is known as the " double built " rods which are made of two layers of split and glued bamboo, one within the other. They are heavier and strong, and it is claimed, hold their shape better, than ordinary rods and are popular for sea and salmon fishing but unnecessary, I believe, in single hand fly rods. An English innovation is the steel center rod which consists of a fine piece of well-tempered steel running as a core through sections of regular split bamboo. The makers claim this construction gives a rod of superior casting power with only % of an ounce added weight. Friends who possess rods of this kind are enthusiastic admirers of this construction for heavy fishing. An American maker supplies a rod of " twisted bam- boo " which he claims equalizes the strain and pro- duces better action. I have never tried a rod of this type so am unable to pass on its merits, but Perry Frazer, in his *' Amateur Rodmaking," speaks well of it. British and American Rods Compared As a general rule British rods are heavier and longer than those used in this country although the American light rod idea is becoming popular in England and 30 PRACTICAL FLY FISHING British rod makers have been forced to cater to this demand both at home and abroad. The average Brit- ish angler, however, clings to his 12 and 14 foot rods because of his inborn conservatism. American anglers marvel at the heavy rods and fine terminal tackle used by their British brethren but, as a matter of fact, the difference in weight between American and English rods is in ounces and not in power. British rod makers use heavier fittings and their rods are built heavier in the butt which often is increased by the use of a button and spike that adds as much as 1I/2 ounces to a rod's weight. Because of this heft in the butt the American angler, whose knowledge of British fly rods has been gained by reading British tackle catalogs, is surprised to learn that a British-made rod of 10 feet and 8 ounces " swings " just as easily as an American rod of the same length and of 2 ounces less weight. Comparing the best British and American rods I am of the opinion that, even after making allowances for the Britisher's heavier construction, American rods possess more casting power. On the other hand they are poorer finished. That is, they do not display the niceties that one expects when paying twenty-five or more dollars for a fly rod. Good American fly rods are severely plain while British rods are invariably more distinctive in appearance and, with the exception of ferrules, better fitted. My sympathies are with the angler who pays thirty dollars or more for a fine fly rod and who objects to paying three dollars additional TACKLE 31 for agate first guide and tip-tops and proportionately for other " extras." Number of Pieces Perhaps the ideal fly rod, like the ideal bait-casting rod, would be a single " stick " but such a construction would not fit in well with American fishing conditions — imagine rushing for the 1 140 with a nine or ten foot rod case! The same objection, but in less degree, ap- plies to the rods of two pieces of equal length, which are popular in Europe. The average American fly rod is made in three pieces — butt, middle joint and tip, with an extra tip — and this seems to meet with general approval. Wells maintains that the proper form is the three piece rod with an independent handle, his reason being that it enables the angler to turn his rod from time to time and thus equalize the strain and avoid a " set." It is a reasonable theory. '* Tourist rods " are usually made up of three tips, two middle joints, two butt joints and an independent handle, for use when the angler goes into the wilderness far from the tackle repair shops. Naturally a rod of this type is expen- sive. The trunk, suitcase or " Sunday " rod is made in four, five or six pieces for compactness and extreme portability. Its action, because of the number of fer- rules is likely to be impaired somewhat and such a rod is recommended only when circumstances make it im- perative. I know an angling parson who toted one 32 PRACTICAL FLY FISHING of these rods in the tail of his frock coat when going about his parish and many a lusty fish he " snaked " out of wayside streams. The combination rod, con- sisting of a number of joints to be used interchange- ably to make either a bait or fly rod, is a handy tool on canoe trips where weight and space are mat- ters of great moment, and when one wishes to cast both bait and fly, but it is generally the fly rod end of the combination that is least satisfactory. TACKLE Ferrules EARLY American rods were " spliced " and many British rods are now made that way. That is, the end of the joints or pieces are fashioned to fit snugly together and the joining is done by lashing with a piece of thong, wire or adhesive tape. The British have some strange, and to us almost primi- tive, ideas on ferrules. The best makers have some locking device such as a hook on the male ferrule to engage with a corresponding projection on the female or when they do use a suction or friction ferrule they add a dowel or pin which American rod makers dis- carded several generations ago. The best American ferrules are serrated or split. The serrated ferrule is crown-shaped so that each point rests on the flat face or angle of a bamboo rod. Theoretically, at least, this makes the change between resilient wood and unyielding metal less abrupt and eases the strain at the joints — the vulnerable part of a rod. The split ferrule works on the same principle. Good American ferrules are made of German silver, tempered and retempered until they have almost the hardness of steel. They are shouldered to avoid un- necessary cutting away of wood and the female ferrule 33 34 PRACTICAL FLY FISHING is reenforced with a welt at the open end and is water- proofed by a partition or floor at its base to prevent water getting at the wood. In short, the better class of American ferrule is a decided success. Grasps The best material for the hand grasp is cork, either solid or of cork discs over a wood core. Cheap rods have a thin sheathing of cork on the grasp which soon shows signs of wear and the same objection applies to the celluloid and cane wound grasps. The form of the grasp is a matter of taste. The swelled grasp is large in the middle and tapers at the front and rear while the shaped or Wells' grasp flares at both ends. I have rods with both types and can notice little differ- ence in them. Reel Seat, etc. The reel seat on a fly rod is placed below the hand to keep the reel out of the way and to add weight be- low the grip for leverage in casting. The reel seat may be either metal, celluloid or " skeleton " — the lat- ter usually being a piece of grooved cedar. The metal reel seat should be of German silver as this material is superior to the nickel plated brass used on the cheaper rods. German silver is strong, its fin- ish is permanent and never chips and while it tarnishes slightly it can easily be polished. I rather like the British idea of oxidizing all metal parts. With the skeleton or celluloid reel seats a metal butt cap is put TACKLE 35 M c o ^ '^3 ^ CO bo c a* '^ o >_ ^ o C/i T3 /-^ C (U c3 .s ffi *> 13 s