The leader., 1897-12-08
FISHING RODS.
The Varied Assortment That the Ann
Ter May Accumulate.

| The Varied Assortment That the AnR-
Ter May Accumulate.
A man devoted to angling might have
from 20 to 80 fishing rods. There are
many men that own as many as 40, for
fresh-water fishing only, which is here
alone considered. AT the outset of his
fishing career, a man accumulates rods
with experience. Here is what might
happen in the case of a beginner, TO
whom the cost of rods was not matter
Of importance:
He would start, say, with black bass,
and buy a split bamboo rod weighing
seven ounces, and ten feet in length.
Out fishing be would meet man using
a six-ounce rod, which seemed to
answer the purpose just as well, and
very soon be buys a six-ounce rod him
self. After awhile he buys bass min
now-casting rod, with light tackle, a
rod weighing four or five ounces. and
measuring seven feet in length. lie
looks forward to the day when he can
attach live minnow to his hool: and
cast IL 100 or 1875 feet and not kill the
minnow in the cast. Before he has
reached this degree of proficiency, how
ever, he is likely to begin on trout fly
rods. And of these, before very long, he
| will accumulate eight or ten, ranging
in weight from three to eight ounces.
He will have rods for different kinds
of fishing-for fishing from the bank
and for fishing while wading; and rods
| adapted to the character of the waters
| fished, as to width of stream and
| strength of current, and so Cd; and
rods adapted to special regions and the
| fishes found in them. Then the angler
begins buying salmon rods. He is like.
ly to buy first rod II feet in length
and weighing 80 to 80 ounces. He finds
that too heavy and buys rod 1914 feet
long and weighing "a ounces. Later
| he buys salmon rod 14h feet in length
and weighing 10 ounces.
All the rods the angler has bought SO
Far are split bamboo. Now he goes in
for collection. He had begun to be
| was buying trout rods, and now he is
more interested than ever. He goes in
for novelties. He buys, for instance, 8
greenheart salmon rod. Before the in.
| PRODUCTION of the split bamboo rod
| which is now for fresh-water fishing
! displacing all the rods of wood including
bethabarra and lancewood, the green.
heart was the ideal salmon rod. and il
is still used. Greenheart rods were
originally turned out, as they are still
| by local makers in Scotland and Ireland
The most celebrated of greenheart rods
one of Scotch and the other of Irish
make, are known to all salmon fisher
men. The angler buys, it may be, two
| greenheart rods of different lengths
one of 1874 feet and one of II feet He
may prefer TO use his more modern split
bamboo rods, but he loves the green
heart.
Then the angler provides himself
with grilse rods of two lengths, 10 feet
and 1874 feet, weighing IS and 1871
ounces. By this time he has. perhaps
IS or 20 rods, maybe more, and gradual
| ly he adds to his collection. Most
anglers buy new rods every two or three
seasons; some buy two or three rods ir
| a season. The constant tendency OF
| anglers as they become more expert is
| toward lighter rods.
| There are men who are lovers of fine
fishing rods, and buy them though
they may never use them. They may be
noted anglers. who ars prevented by
| circumstances from fishing, but, on
| seeing fine rods, buy them just because
| they like them. They may be men who
| never fish. There is, for instance, a
man in this city who never fishes
though he belongs to fishing club and
/ has 30 fishing rods of the finest descrip.
ton, perfect outfit. He never shoots
| but he has fine collection of guns. He
buys these things because they are
| beautiful and perfect, and because they
| are of interest to friends who come tc
see him.
OF rods used in fresh water angling
bass, and trout fly rods of split bam-
| boo cost ST. to SIS each. The rod for SIS
would owe its cost not to expensive
mountings, but to the material and
workmanship, which would be of the
| best. There are rods with costly mount
ings, that are sold at far higher prices
but these are made usually for presen-
tations, Salmon rods of split bamboo
sell at $50 to SIS, and grilse rods for S.
| less than salmon rods.-N. Y. Sun.