The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1885-06-10

The rod should be of the best,
whatever material it be made from.
Lancewood, greenheart, bethabara,
and many other woods are capable
of being converted into an excellent
fly rod, provided the material is
good of its kind, and it has been
fashioned by the hands of skilled
workmen. Rent and glued-or, as
1t is now more generally called,
split-bamboo unquestionably stands
first as a material in the general es-
timation of experts in this coun-
try.
In the fiy-casting tournaments
held year after year at Central Park
in New York il has gradually sup
planted all other kinds of rod, and
certainly in its strength, ligntness,
and that steely spring which is the
acme of perfection in fly rod are
found to a degree unequaled in any
other known material. These rods
are made by gluing six strips OF
Calcutta bamboo together in such a
way that a cross section of the COM
pleted rod forms a hexagon. The
rind of the bamboo is placed on the
outside, and is untouched in the
manufacture, since herein lies all
the virtue that the material pos
ses5es.
The variety of bamboo used for
this purpose may be distinguished
by the charred marks on its yellow
cuticle, without which none seems
to be imported into this country.
No one in the least familiar with
this bamboo can have failed to re-
mark these burns, always present
yet never alike. To the split-bam-
boo rod-maker they are a nuisance,
forcing him to reject altogether
many cane otherwise excellent. So
every one. surprised that so much
labor should be expended merely,
so far as apparent, to iniure he cane,
naturally asks why this is done.
Reasons are as plenty as blackber-
ries, and, of course, there is no lack
in this case.
Here are few samples assigned
by them who said they knew all
about it. 1. 1t is a religious cere-
mony. 2. They are roasted over a
large gridiron to kill the larv@ of
boring insects. 3. 1t is merely for
purpose of ornament 4. The bam-
boo grows in jungles matted togeth-
er with all manner of climbing and
tenacious vines; before they can be
extricated the jungles must be fired
to destroy the creepers. 5. That the
canes are roasted over a gridiron to
destroy the leaves and creepers at
tached to them, as the most simple
and expeditions means of getting
rid of them. 6. That it is done
with hot iron, each cane being
treated separately merely to straigh
en- them. / have heard others, but
these are quite sufficient for the ex-
ercise of personal prediction, my
own being a combination of the rea-
sons numbered 4 and 6.
Different specimens of every va
riety Of rod material vary greatly in
excellence, one sample being very
good another utterly worthless.
Therein the integrity of the rod
maker and regard for his reputation
are the only safeguards to the pur-
chaser. Therefore, it is cheaper in
the end to buy from the maker HIM
self or his recognized agent. If they
have a reputation they will try to
maintain it. Anonymous rods are
like anonymous letters they may
be exceptionable, but usually they
are not.
Above all things, remember there
are no bargains in fishing tackle. II
an article is cheap in price, it is al
most invariably cheap in quality as
well. Comfort in use. efficiency in
casting the fly, and power to control
and land the fish after it is fastened,
all will admit, are the desiderata in
a fiy rod; strength to withstand the
incidental strain. and elasticity to
recover on the removal of the deflec'
ton caused thereby, in all cases be.
ing presumed.
1t needs no expert physicist to as
sure us that with two rods of equal
weight. and respectively ten and
twelve feet long, the former will oc.
casion far less fatigue than the lat
ter, since while the shorter arm Of
the lever is in both cases equal, the
longer arm, which is to do the
work. is greater in the latter. Nay,
further, even though the shorter rod
exceed in actual weight, still it may
retain its superiority in this respect
Killing power, and the ability to
control the movements of the fish
depend not on the length, but on
the power and stiffness of the rod,
and this, other things being equal,
must be greater in ten than in a
twelve foot rod, since the leverage
against the controlling power is less
Harper's Magazine.