The Designs are Worked into the Unfinished Surface of Boards with Sandpaper, Sharp Chisels and a Plane, and Then Colored with Dyes to Produce the Desired Effect
Fishing-Rod Making and Angling
By Stillman Taylor
Part I—A One-Piece Casting Rod
The pleasures of outdoor life are most keenly enjoyed by those sportsmen who are familiar with all the little tricks—the "ins and outs"—of the open. It is the active participation in any chosen sport which makes the sport well worth while, for the enjoyment gleaned from little journeys to forest and stream largely rests with the outer's own knowledge of his sport. Not all of the fun of fishing lies in the catching of the fish, since the satisfaction which comes through handling a well-balanced rod and tackle must be reckoned the chief contributor to the outing. In other words, the pleasures of fishing do not depend so much upon the number of fish caught, as the manner in which the person fishes for them. The rod is naturally the first and important consideration in the angler's kit, and it is the purpose of these articles to set forth, at first, a few hints which my own long experience leads me to think may be of some assistance to those anglers who enjoy making and repairing their own rods and tackle, to be followed, later, by some suggestions on the art of angling generally. The hints given are merely my own methods, and while they may not be the best way of accomplishing the desired end, a good fishing rod may be constructed. Like the majority of amateurs, I have achieved the desired results with a few common tools, namely, a saw, plane, jackknife, file, and sandpaper. These simple tools are really all that is needed to turn out a serviceable and well-finished rod of excellent action.
Kind of Material
The great elasticity and durability of the split-cane or split-bamboo rod cannot be easily disputed. The handmade split bamboo is unquestionably the best rod for every kind of fishing, but it is also the most expensive and the most difficult material for the amateur to work. In making the first rod or two, the beginner will be better satisfied with the results in making a good solid-wood rod. Of course, glued-up split-bamboo butts, joints, and tip stock may be purchased, and if the angler is determined to have only bamboo, it is advisable to purchase these built-up sections rather than to risk certain failure by attempting to glue the cane. However, there are several good woods particularly well adapted for rod making, and while slightly inferior to the finest bamboo in elasticity and spring, the carefully made solid-wood rod is good enough for any angler and will probably suit the average fisherman as well as any rod that can be purchased.
Bethabara, or washaba, a native wood of British Guinea, makes a fine rod, but it is a heavy wood, very hard, and for this reason is perhaps less desirable than all other woods. With the single exception of snakewood it is the heaviest wood for rod making and is only used for short bait-casting rods. Possessing considerable strength Bethabara can be worked quite slender, and a 5-ft. casting tip can be safely made of 5 oz. weight.
Greenheart, a South American wood, is popular alike with manufacturers and amateur rod makers, and 90 per-cent of the better class of solid-wood rods are made of this material. It resembles Bethabara in color, but is lighter in weight, although it apparently possesses about the same strength and elasticity. In point of fact, there is little, if any, choice between these woods, and providing sound and well-selected wood is used, the merits of a rod made of Bethabara or greenheart are more likely to be due to the careful workmanship of the maker than to the variety of the wood used.
Dagame, or dagama, a native of the forests of Cuba, is in many respects the ideal material for rod making, as it has strength and elasticity. This wood is straight-grained and free from knots, which makes it easily worked; it polishes well and is durable. While there is always more or less difficulty about procuring first-class Bethabara and greenheart, dagame of good quality is easily obtained.
Lancewood is much used in turning out the cheaper grades of fishing rods, but it is somewhat soft and has a marked tendency to take set under the strain of fishing and warp out of shape. It is less expensive than the other woods, and while it has a straight and even grain, there are numerous small knots present which make this material less satisfactory to work than the other woods. For heavy sea rods, lancewood may serve the purpose fairly well, but for the smaller fishing tools this material is inferior to Bethabara, greenheart, and dagame. Other woods are often used, and while a good rod may be frequently made from almost any of them, the three mentioned are held in the highest esteem by the angling fraternity. For the first rod, the amateur will make no mistake in selecting dagame, whether the slender fly rod or the more easily constructed short bait-casting tool is to be made.