Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1897-12-23
NO51
FISHING RODS.
The Varied Assortment That the Ang-
Ter May Accumulate.


Ter May Accumulate.
A man devoted TO angling might have
from 90 to so 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 beginner, to
whom the cost of rods was not a 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 he would meet man using
a six-ounce rod, which seemed to
answer the purpose just as we'll, and
very soon he buys six-ounce rod him
self. After awhile he buys bass min
now-casting rod, with light tackle,
rod weighing four or five ounces, and
measuring seven feet in length. He
looks forward to the day when he can
attach a live minnow to his hook and
cast it 100 or 125 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
fshed. as to width of stream and
strength of current, and so on; and
rods adapted to special regions and the
fishes found in them. Then the angler
begins buying salmon rods. He is like
" to buy first n rod II feet in length
and weighing 30 to 80 ounces. He finds
that too heavy and buys rod 15H feet
long and weighing "a ounces. Later
he buys a salmon rod 14h feet In length
and weighing 10 ounces.
All the rods the angler has bought SO
far are q split bamboo. Now he goes In
for collection. He had begun to be
especially interested In rods when he
vas buying trout rods, and now he is
more interested than ever. He goes in
for novelties. He buys, for instance, Q
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 1t
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, 1t may be, two
greenheart rods of different lengths,
one of 1917 feet and one of IT feet. BE
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 1871 feet. weighing Is and 16M
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 OF three rods In
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. Theymay be
noted anglers, who are 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,
man in this city who never fishes,
though he belongs to fishing club and
has 80 fishing rods of the finest descrip-
tion, 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 to
see him.
OF rods used in fresh water angling,
bass, and trout fly rods OF split bam-
boo cost 81 to SIS each. The rod for SIS
would owe its cost not to expensive
mountiDgs, 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 $55, and grilse rods for $s
less than salmon rods.-N. Y. Sun.