, 1890-04-22
FISHRUD ~EYULUllUN.
FROM THE HICKORY sAeLlNe TO
THE POLISHED BAMBOO.

uaw In. Disciples Of IEAak Walton Have
Improved Upon His Methods-old Time
pimeunIes-Now Close to the Limit of
LIghtnsss-
II Ixaak Walton, who is pretty generally
rsg.nded as the father Of artistic angling, Is
.c1nstomed to wander in the spirit over the
front streams, what an itching must possess
him 10 seize a modern rod from the hands OF
modern fisherman and have a cast! lEaak
was accustomed TO use worms and bugs and
other Shiny and creepy things for bait, but
he used them with such success that he has
been rightly rendered the honor Of having
been the founder of the line OF aesthetic disci-
pies whose skill and proves have continued
to increase.
The primitive rod in this country was the
saplinE cut in the woods. Hickory was
chosen by the settlers TO do their fishing with
on account OF its ~pliablity and strength.
Bows brought up in the forest use hickory
vet while the Indians before them knew Of
its worth.
The BOY AND TIE EXPERT.
How often the angler visiting a fine, broad
trout stream among the hills has been sur
urised 70 meet an urchin, with his trousers
rolled up as high as they could go, lazily wad-
ing down the stream, swing a light hickory
wand over his head as he cast his hook
well baited with two or three fat angle
worms! Perhaps its an of day for fly fish
ing. and all the combinations Of color and
soft siIken hAckles or feathers will not tempt
the spotted beauties in the pools Then how
meaeer, how insignificant the well equipped
angler, with his forty dollar split bamboo,
his handsome wadinG stockings, his oiled silk
line, and his fine plated trout creel, feels as
the youth with a grin lifts out a pound fish
from the bubbling foam, and "rubs it in" 50
to speak, by Offering TO sell it for half a dol
lArI With bait. he chance are that the
country boy would beat the artistic angler
every time
Bot sometimes the tables are changed and
the expert caster will take the pound trout
ON his dainty artificial fly by casting right
over the bait fishers line. These hickory
sapling anglers are not TO be laughed Mt
Birch sticks nave also served many a fisher
man caught in a fine t%routing locality with
out his rod.
From these crude beginnings the handsome
tackle of the present angler was gradually
evolved. The first improvement On the old
bent bone or pronged hook was the pin,
which was bent up in the middle. Without
any barb on the hook, of course the fish had
every chance to work OF; but some big stories
OF angling with pin hooks are handed down
from the early fishing times In this country.
Five pound pike are claimed to have been
secured in Lake Ontario by 50 simple n de
vice. Horse hair lines succeeded the bark
hbers and vines. The hairs were twisted
neatly and proved strong. 1t is not 80 long
ago that horse hair lines could be bought
Mares tail hair was said TO be the luckiest-
why has never been satisfactorily explained
by the experts
4 reel was not used by salmon fishers OF
the olden days, because they had not studied
out the device. Imagine hooking a big sal
mon with no reel and with the line tied to
the butt There was only one thing to be
done when the fish made up his mind TO travel
down stream; that was to throw the rod or
pole into the river and follow on.
Some one found out that It wa a good plan
10 carry the line wound ON n spool, or winch,
as 1t was called This wns attached TO n belt
around the waist, By this arrangement n
salmon could be played in pretty much the
same manner that Il kite is played by a boy.
THE SPLIT BAMBOO.
As the art Of angling grew a search was
made for new woods, and lance wood was
soon hit upon as an excellent substitute for
the old tips, which were OF whalebone fast
ened TO the hickory main joint OF the rod,
Then pretty much all the rod was made OF
lance wood Then greenheart was found u
be an Improvement upon the lance wood, and
many hne rods have been made OF II No"
noio WOOD Is me rage next TO the split bamboo
Mold Is an African wood. very tough and o.
inner gram thhh tne greenheart 80 TAR !
has given general satisfaction when used
Split bamboo for tips and joints has nevel
been improved upon. 1t is light, springy nnt
strong, and Is capable oil a good Zeal OF veal
anu tear
Q Spllt bamboo rods now turned OUT are
ma 'ers o. Workmanship mauo D machih'
81! tneiI price nus come down 80 as 10 pt
Nthin lhe means OF almost every hshertnhh
properly "ASm care Oh Ihey WIZ last
tor several years those made 10y hand are,