The two-piece salt-water rod with an 18-in. double cork hand grasp, the whole being 6-1/2 ft. long, is made to weigh about 13 oz., with the following caliperings:
- A uniform taper of 35/64 in. to 29/64 in., from the cork grasp to the ferrule, is given to the butt.
- The first 6 in. of the tips is 13/32 in.;
- 1 ft., 25/64 in.;
- 1-1/2 ft., 11/32 in.;
- 2 ft, 21/64 in.;
- 2-1/2 ft., 9/32 in.;
- and to tip, 15/64 in.
The joints are made 36-3/4 in. long. Dagame, or greenheart, is used with german-silver mountings. Both pieces of wood are 4 ft. long, the butt being of 3/4-in. and the tip of 1/2-in. material. One 7/8-in. reel seat with straight hood, one 1-in. butt cap, one 7/16-in. ferrule, one taper with small end 35/64-in.; one 10/32-in. stirrup-tube agate top; two No. 3 bell guides; two dozen cork washers, and two spools, size A, winding silk.
The Mountings for a Fly Rod Consist of a Reel Seat with a Straight Hood, a Taper, Snake Guide, Agate Angle Top, and Serrated Ferrule. The Toothed Ends are Wound with Silk to Afford Additional Strength
The Independent-Butt Rod
The independent-butt rod, in which the hand grasp contains the ferrule and the tip is made in one piece, is a favorite type with many of the best fishermen. This mode of construction may be used with all classes of rods, the light fly and bait-casting rods, and the heavier caliber rods used in salt-water angling. In rods of this type, it is only necessary to use the same size ferrule to make as many tips as desired to fit the one butt. Tips of several calibers and weights may thus be fashioned to fit the one butt, and if the single-piece tip is too long for some special use, one tip may be made a jointed one for ease in carrying.
The independent butt, or hand grasp, is made by fitting the ferrule directly on a length of dagame, or greenheart, which has been rounded so that the seated ferrule will not touch the wood. The ferrule is then cemented and riveted in place, and a soft-pine sleeve is fitted over the wood core and the ferrule. The forward end of the sleeve is, of course, tapered to fit the taper of the reel seat, and when properly fitted, its lower end will project about 1/4 in. beyond the pine sleeve. Glue the sleeve on this wood core, cement the reel seat to the sleeve, and rivet the reel seat in place.
The cork washers are glued in position, working the first one into the metal edge of the reel seat, to make a nice, tight joint at this point. The other corks are then glued in place until the hand grasp is of the desired length. The projecting end of the wood core is then cut off flush with the last cork, and the rod is mounted in the usual manner.
In making a double hand grasp, the forward grasp may be fitted over the wood core in the fashion already described in making the hand grasp for the one-piece bait-casting rod, or the forward grasp may be fitted to the tip, just above the ferrule, as preferred. Both methods are commonly used, the only difference being in the manner of finishing up the forward grasp. If the forward grip is affixed to the ferruled end of the tip, two tapered thimbles will be required to make a nice finish.