Chapter V: Rod-Making: Rod Tapers and Rod Plotting

The novice is now much better prepared than he was at the beginning of this discussion of rod-making, to digest profitably the somewhat more technical data regarding rod tapers, and for suggestions how to plan a rod; hence the postponement of this chapter until the present time.

A general principle that we regard as fundamental is that the butt-joint should be enough heavier than the middle-joint, and this second-joint enough heavier than the top-joint, so that the hand wielding the rod senses that it has perfect control of the rod-tip from its hold upon the handgrasp. In other words, the rod should not have the topheavy feeling imparted by a jerky top. Some foreign rods, principally of the extra long, two-handed variety for salmon fishing, are purposely thus made to give a kind of kick in throwing out the line--such as the Irish, Castleconnell rods--but personally we very much dislike this peculiarity of action.

Two split-cane rods of identical caliber and weight will rarely have exactly the same action, because the qualities of the bamboo will differ, and however little, it yet is sufficient to impart a distinctive “feel” to each one of the rods. Then, again, individual tastes differ as to just what particular feel is most acceptable; hence subtle refinements of action obtained by hollowing out the lines of a rod at one point, and by giving them a swell at another place, are worked out as the result of considerable experience both in the making and the using of rods. Therefore, beyond a certain point, it is practicable to offer data only as a basis for the reader’s endeavors and not as an absolute guide.

This means that no matter how good may be the first rod put together by the beginner--and the chances are very much in favor of its being far superior to any of the cheaper ones that he can buy--that rod will not satisfy him for long; for after a thorough testing out he soon will see how he can improve upon it--or at any rate he will believe that he does. But between guiding principles and some definite detail, we can put the amateur rod-builder in possession of information sufficient to start him on his way rejoicing.

For a rod for fishing with the fly, good results may be obtained in one having a straight or even taper throughout, from butt[4] to tip; and by varying the caliber of such a rod, almost any degree of stiffness or flexibility of practical purport may be obtained. But a rod may be built on a swelled or convex taper, that will have a superior action; and by looking at the diagrams below, showing just what is meant by a straight, a compound-straight, a concave, and a convex taper, one will immediately recognize that the lines of the latter are the same as those which experience has proven most acceptable for flagstaffs and ships’ spars--which also are subjected to persistent bending strains.

Whatever the style of taper of the rest of the rod, in any event pattern the slender top-joint after the lines suggested by Figures 2 or 4. It is very important for best results that the _fullness at the butt of the top-joint be carried well forward_ until about the outer half of the joint is reached, when the caliber may fall away pretty sharply from there on to the very tip. As already mentioned, the extreme outer end may be further or wholly so reduced with sandpaper--in the case especially of the finer tops--after gluing up. Other methods of accomplishing a similar result will be noted later on.

In planning a rod to have a straight or uniformly-graduated taper from butt to tip, the caliber of that rod at any cross-section throughout its length is readily determined by means of a diagram plotted as we will now explain; and even if it be not intended to have your rod of an absolutely uniform taper, such a diagram nevertheless furnishes a convenient basis for whatever modifications may be determined upon, and lets the reader into the secret of how he may design a rod of any taper or combination of tapers desired.

Say that we have in mind a fly-rod of ten feet in length, of 7/16 inch diameter where the butt joins the handgrasp, and 1/16 inch at the tip. We will reduce it to a drawing in this way, each quarter-inch of _length_ in our illustration representing one foot of actual rod-length. In practise we prefer to have the drawing on a larger scale, so that each 1½ inches represents a foot, when ⅛ inch then represents an inch of the real rod and 1/16 inch stands for a half-inch. The _diameters_ of your rod are the _actual lengths_ of these cross-lines of your diagram, at the cross-sections marked respectively 1, 2, 3, 4 feet, etc., from the butt end.

Next we must get the diameters of the respective _ends of our middle-joint_, the rod being composed of three joints or pieces; and for the reason that we prefer all three _completed_ joints to be of the same length, and because allowance must be made for the _ferrule lengths_, this is not so absolutely simple as it might seem. For perfect accuracy in our figures certain ferrule lengths must be known before we can ascertain the diameters of the joints at the points where the selected ferrules are to be located.

The butt male (inner or center) ferrule of the middle-joint will be seated about 1¼ inches in the female or outer ferrule at the smaller end of the butt-joint, and the top-joint ferrule will seat about 1⅛ inches in its companion half; thus the total length of the rod when jointed up will be 2⅜ inches shorter than the total length of its three joints or parts if placed simply end to end, without engaging the ferrules. We want a total length, _jointed_, of ten feet or 120 inches; then we must have a total length, unjointed, of 122.375 inches, to be divided equally into three parts. This gives 40.79 inches for each completed joint, _including the projecting ferrules_. The female or projecting ferrule of the first- or butt-joint reaching 1¼ inches (the depth that the male half seats) beyond the wood, gives 40.79 less 1¼, or 39.54 inches, for the actual wood length of that joint (it being understood that some ten to twelve inches of handgrasp are included in this joint, in the completed rod); the corresponding ferrule-half of the second-joint projecting 1⅛ inches, leaves that amount less than 40.79, or 39.665 inches, for the wood length of the second-joint. The way that it works out is shown in our next illustration.

Going back now to our previous diagram, we measure 39.54 inches from A, which gives B as the actual common caliber of the adjoining ends of the first- and second-joints; measuring, once more, 39.665 inches from the point B, gives us C as the remaining caliber wanted. We now know the _length of each of our bamboo-joints irrespective of the ferrules_, and we know the _diameters of the respective ends of these joints or pieces of the rod_, and can proceed to set our metal grooved-mold accordingly, using _half of each of these diameters as the measurements from bevel-edge to bevel-edge across the face of the mold_, in getting out the component joint-strips. Of course we maintain the mold so set, by tightening up the screws.

The reader might be interested to learn what analysis of the lines of some of the best professional-made rods would reveal as to tapers. We are pleased that we can satisfy this very natural curiosity. The rods that the author calipered, at every foot throughout their lengths, are respectively the most famous American and British makes. The former is eight feet long and weighs three and one-half ounces; the latter is nine and one-half feet and weighs six and one-quarter ounces (a dry-fly rod). Each five-eighths of an inch in length of the diagram represents one foot of rod-length. The actual diameters that the rods calipered at each foot of their individual lengths are indicated by the figures in fractions of an inch. By multiplying these by four (in the original drawing), we obtained--in an exaggerated form, for easier perception--the widths which, connected by the solid longitudinal lines, give the lines of the rods; and these may be compared with the dotted lines in the diagram, which represent straight-tapered rods.

Another clue to some of the underlying principles of successful rod-construction is furnished by noting the _point of balance_--where the rod will balance when held at one point horizontally, as across the finger--in some of the highest-grade productions. In two famous makes of American rods, tested without attached reel, Mr. Charles Zibeon Southard gives these figures: 31 inches from the butt end of handgrasp, in a 9-foot rod weighing 3½ ounces; 31½ inches, in a 9½-foot rod weighing 4 ounces; 34⅞ inches, in a 10-foot rod weighing 5 ounces. Rods from the other maker showed: 31¼ inches, in a 9½-foot rod weighing 4½ ounces; and 34½ inches, in a 10-foot rod weighing 5¾ ounces. The increased weight of the handgrasp in a detachable-handle rod--because of the extra ferrule--would bring the balancing-point or center of gravity nearer to the butt end.

In the endeavor to copy in a duplicate the exact action of any particular rod, these balancing-points should coincide; so, too, should the extent of the vertical deflection from the horizontal of the respective tips, under the influence of a definite weight attached--say of one or two ounces--when the butts of the jointed-up rods are held securely; and further, so should the rate of the vibrations of the rods be the same when, still held as above, they are set to working. Says Mr. Ralph L. Montagu of Oroville, Calif.: “In order to make this test, the handle of the fully-jointed rod should be held in a vise” or blocked up on the end of a table and “firmly held by an assistant. Now, by pressing down on the rod near the handle, get it vibrating up and down; as soon as the vibrations become regular, get out your watch and count the number per minute, using a finger to touch the rod lightly each time it comes up, and thus continuing its full swing.” The downward deflection of the tip from the horizontal without any weight attached is termed the “free deflection.” Mr. Montagu gives the following data concerning “a very perfect dry-fly rod made by a manufacturer with a world-wide reputation: Length, 9½ feet; weight, 6 ounces; free deflection, 6 inches; deflection with 1-ounce weight, 19½ inches, with 2-ounce weight, 33 inches; vibrations per minute, 106.” The stiffer the rod the “quicker” it is--the more vibrations per minute; the “soft” rod is a “slow” one. “A good rod should have not less than one-hundred vibrations per minute.” We also might note here that for best results in a rod designed for dry-fly fishing it is enlarged or made extra stocky toward the extreme butt.

When it comes to a rod for bait-fishing, and to the construction of a short, Western-style rod for casting artificial bait from the reel, better results are attained for the special work required if these rods are relatively stiffer at the tip and for some distance back than obtains in a fly-rod. We will achieve this effect by having a more markedly divergent taper near the lighter end. In the case of our ten-foot fly-rod, as plotted--which is a rod having considerable backbone--a very satisfactory result will be produced by making an additional, bait top that shall be just one foot shorter than the fly top-joint, and by tapering it in a swelled fashion from the caliber at C to from 2½ to 3/32 of an inch in diameter at its tip.

You will want two fly tops and two bait tops for this rod, top-joints being always supplied in duplicate with rods from the dealer’s as they are the parts most frequently broken. Sample dimensions for the short, bait-casting rod mentioned above will be given later.

We now have planned a ten-foot fly-rod weighing about seven ounces and suitable for heavy fresh-water angling, which with its shorter and stiffer top makes a very effective nine-foot bait-rod. For a second, lighter but very serviceable all-around fly-rod, the writer advises one of nine feet, having a butt caliber of ⅜ inch at the handgrasp junction and measuring 1/16 inch at tip; and a more flexible rod, of very sweet action but still having plenty of “ginger”, is achieved by using the same size ferrules while drawing the rod out to a total length of nine and one-half feet, the extra six inches representing an addition at the butt--which somewhat increases the diameter just above the grasp--and especial care being taken to see that the full diameters of the whole of the butt-joint are not skimped.

To secure the nicest action for fly-rods, do not have the diameter at the butt end of the butt-joint any oversize (unless deliberately so for special, dry-fly work); the same caution applies with even more emphasis to the top end of the middle-joint; but be sure to have the butt end of the top-joint fully up to the measure, and to lighten the outer half of this section as already mentioned. The reason why the delicate top-joint of a properly-proportioned rod that is skilfully handled is sufficient to withstand all legitimate stress, is because a steadily-increasing strain is continuously thrown back upon the stronger parts of the rod. But when the butt of the top-joint is too slender and joins with a middle-joint small end that is too stiff, then the strain on the top is not progressively and properly transferred to the middle-joint, which is the prime factor in the rod’s action. A weak middle-joint means a vitally weak rod, irrespective of any other features, and it means a rod with a “kick.” Also be it understood that owing to the _bracing and distributing, truss effect of the line strung through the guides_ of a rod, the rod will bear much more strain than if the line simply were fastened to its tip.

The reader will be interested to know what is meant by a “double-built” rod. This construction includes twelve instead of six strips to a joint, for a hexagonal cross-section, and the diagram illustrates their arrangement. It might at first glance seem that this involves just double the work in planing and gluing, but such is not the case. To produce this joint, the builder proceeds simply to glue together two thinner bamboo-strips to make the rectangular strip, preliminary to planing to the triangular shape. After filing the knots, and straightening his strips, he planes down a half-dozen on the pith side to but half the full thickness wanted. The other six strips, after receiving the same treatment, he _files crosswise on the enamel side_ just enough to flatten this surface for a glue joint; the plane will not bite efficiently on this glossy, outside surface of the bamboo. When glued together, each double or compound strip will present on cross-section the appearance shown. The further treatment of these double strips is identical with that of simple strips, as already detailed, the result being as the dotted V of the illustration. In gluing together the halves of each strip, the knots are slipped or staggered as well as when gluing up the completed strips into joints.

There is one situation where the expedient of double-built joints is of practical advantage, and that is in building butt- and middle-joints of very large caliber--as for salmon or salt-water rods. It also will be the resort at any time when you desire to construct a solid-fiber butt-joint and when a single thickness of the stock on hand is scant for the purpose. You also can employ this method in combining the handsomer Calcutta bamboo on the outside, for looks, with the Tonkin on the inside of the joints, for service, making the Calcutta strips exceedingly thin--a mere veneer. Double-built construction is not practicable for top-joints except the very heaviest.

A brief description here of the various classes of rods, their dimensions and distinctive uses, will be appropriate. Rods for fresh-water angling comprise trout fly-rods, salmon rods, bait-rods, and the Kalamazoo or short rod that in recent years has been designated as the “bait-casting” rod. Certain kinds either of live or artificial bait are properly cast with the standard, long bait-rod--and at times the quarry is thus more pleasurably played, and in a manner more sportsmanlike; but the distinctive appellation of “bait-casting” rod has come to denote a stiffish, short implement, preferably between the length limits of five to six feet, and which is used for casting particularly the heavier kinds of artificial bait--more frequently a wooden minnow or some other form of “plug”--the line running directly from a quadruple-multiplying reel as the cast is made. It is a Western style, very effective in bass fishing under certain conditions, is favored by many anglers for maskinonge in preference to trolling, and has been adopted to some extent even for trout and for salt-water fishing. It requires a distinctive and very interesting technic, and the sport also is similar to fishing with the artificial fly in that the angler goes after his fish instead of waiting for the fish to come to him.

The salmon rod is an overgrown trout fly-rod, suited for its use in killing the larger and heavier fish. Salmon fishing has been much more extensively indulged in abroad than in the United States; consequently the prevailing popular style of salmon tackle was until somewhat recently dictated wholly by the ideas of foreign makers, principally English, Scotch, or Irish. These formerly were accustomed to produce absurdly formidable affairs in salmon rods, running to twenty feet in length and weighing several pounds. But the influence of the combined elegance and efficiency of the lighter, American trout-rods was reflected in the sphere of salmon-fishing tackle, so that now one rarely finds a rod of over sixteen feet in the hands of a modern salmon-angler; and many of them are shorter than this. Thus a recent number of the London _Fishing Gazette_ tells about one British angler writing another: “I once owned an 18-foot greenheart salmon-rod, but induced a naval officer, ordered to British Columbia, to accept it as a present--sheer luck this, of course. I also owned two 17-footers; one of these a friendly Hussar put permanently out of business the first morning he borrowed it, but the other one I can neither sell nor lose, and keep for lending to friends, with the result that they soon buy rods for themselves. This would really suit you admirably if you’d care to buy it cheap; it’s by a leading Scotch maker, and being twenty years old is thoroughly seasoned. I have three 16-footers. One was originally bought for mahseer and is too powerful for most any other fish. Another was given to me by J. F. G., nearly twenty years ago, when he took entirely to split-cane. It was washiba wood--since furnished with greenheart butt and top--made by Harold, of Mallow. It has killed its thousandth fish and is my favorite rod. The third is also a daisy, by Farlow, in two splices. But I am getting on towards middle-age, and want a ‘de luxe’ rod. These 16-footers of mine weigh 42 ounces, 39 ounces, and 38¾ ounces, respectively. Now Hardy’s split-bamboo 16-footers weigh from 28 to 32 ounces. True, their price is a stomachache, but--well--perhaps to celebrate peace--.”

The best British casting records made with rods of any length have been exceeded by American casters with fifteen-foot rods, weighing about twenty-five ounces. Both hands are used on the rod in making the cast with the typical salmon-rod; it is a two-handed rod, and the butt and grasp are modified accordingly.

We will now note some of the standard sizes and weights of different kinds of modern fresh-water bamboo rods, omitting extended reference to trolling-rods because the bait-casting rod with longer and heavier top answers every purpose for this style of angling. The figures given are subject to some slight changes owing to the varying weights of different samples of bamboo-cane, and to differences in the windings and metal fittings of completed rods. The style of handgrasp and whether a rod is fitted with metal (solid) reelseat or simple reel-bands (skeleton reelseat) also are important modifying factors of the total weight. According to the rules of tournament casting, three-quarters of an ounce may be deducted from the total weight either for a solid reelseat or for the extra pair of ferrules necessitated with the independent grasp. Keeping these qualifications in mind, we may make the general statement that fly-rods for trout and bass fishing range from eight feet in length and weighing four ounces, to eleven feet with a weight of nine ounces; though a ten-foot rod weighing seven ounces, or not much more, will, except in rare instances, be the advisable extreme for heavy rods of this class. For bass fishing, we recommend nothing under nine feet, and weighing six ounces--or five and one-half at the very least. An 8½-foot rod ordinarily weighs about 4½ ounces; one of 9½ feet, 6 ounces; and of 10½ feet, 8 ounces. Rods _are_ made to weigh much under these figures; split-bamboos have been constructed, from seven to eight feet in length, that would scale _one and three-quarters ounces_--perchance even less, for all we know. It hardly is necessary to state that such phenomenally light creations are suitable only for the maker’s exhibit of his technical skill or as pretty toys for the collection of the financially plethoric anglermaniac.

As to calibers, the 8- and 8½-foot rods will measure about 9/32 of an inch at the extreme butt end and a scant 2/32 at the extreme tip; the same sizes of ferrules, 17/64 inch and 5/32, will be used for both. Nine- and 9½-foot rods will be 11/32 to 13/32 inch at butt and 2/32 to 2¼/32 at tip; and will take ferrules of 17/64 or 18/64 and 11/64 inch. Ten- to 11-foot rods will measure from 13/32 to 15/32 inch at butt and from 2¼/32 to 3/32 inch at tip; taking ferrules of either 19/64, 21/64 or 22/64 and 12/64, 13/64 or 14/64 inch. _The actual diameters of stock ferrules may vary minutely from their sizes as listed by the dealer._

With rods from twelve to sixteen feet in length, we are in the salmon class. Such rods, if built double, will be proportionately heavier than according with the above schedule, because of the greater weight of the enamel or denser fiber.

For calipering rods and for determining the diameters of the ferrules required in individual cases, some form of accurate calipering instrument is quite indispensable. The handiest form for the rod-worker is that like a miniature monkey-wrench, gauged to measure 64ths of an inch, and it costs about two dollars at the hardware store.

The short, bait-casting rod is sometimes made in one piece or joint; either with or without an independent handgrasp. The writer prefers here the short butt-joint with solid handgrasp and long top arrangement; and he makes two top-joints, one being lighter than the other for the casting of the lighter lures, and each is in duplicate.

As to details of construction relating to the specific styles and arrangements of guides for all of these rods, these will be considered in the chapter on “Windings and Guides.”

The bait-casting rod is 5¼ feet in length, divided as follows: handgrasp and reelseat, 10 inches; top-joint, 38¼ inches. The butt-joint is a scant 7/16 inch in diameter at its larger end (A) and 21/64 inch at the other (B); and the top-joints are each 7/64 inch at their tips, but differently tapered, though each has a double or divergent taper.

We spoke awhile ago of giving a double taper to light fly-rod top-joints by sandpapering down the outer part after the joint was glued. Another way to achieve practically the same thing is by a swelled taper obtained by _springing the mold apart a bit when setting it for getting out the individual strips of the joint_; this is conveniently done by twisting a screwdriver the blade of which is thrust between its halves. Or, again, you can make double-tapered tops in the way that we have done it particularly with the heavier, bait-casting rod top-joints. The diagram will make this third method clear. These two tops first are planed down on a simple straight taper--that is, their component strips are--in either case the mold being set at 10½/64 inch for the butt end. In building the lighter top, we first set the mold for 5/64 inch at the tip (C in the upper drawing), 38¼ inches from A. For the heavier top, the mold first is set at 6/64 inch at C. The point B is at the location of a pair of the braces which hold the halves of the mold securely at the degree of separation at which they are adjusted, and it is about thirteen inches from C. In completing the planing of the strips for either top, we then loosen up all the baseboard brace-screws _excepting the two which hold the mold at_ B; we then _pinch together the ends of the mold_, at C, this time setting it here for 3½/64 inch, and then plane the second, outer taper, from B to C. In getting the exact desired width for setting the small end of the mold, it sometimes is convenient--when double-tapering joints in this way--to use a certain number of pieces of tin or cardboard of a definite thickness and to bring the halves of the mold tight up against these “shives” when placed between their ends.

No special attention other than the present reference will be paid to rods especially designed for salt-water angling, as such implements are more frequently made of material other than bamboo because of the corrosive effect of sea water on fine tackle. Furthermore, sufficient additional data as to patterns and dimensions are easily obtained from the catalog of any first-class tackle-house; and yet again, are these really worthy of being considered “rods?” Rather, should they not be regarded in the light of mere infant telegraph-poles? (--Who threw that tarpon!) Be that as it may, nobody who has mastered the principles of constructing angling-rods of split-bamboo has anything to worry about in such a straight-away proposition as the making of solid-wood rods, of greenheart, bethabara, lancewood, hickory, ash, or in some combination of these. Such materials, in the square, and of sizes suitable for the various joints, are stocked by tackle-men, as also are spring-butts and other two-handed grasps. However, in concluding this chapter, we will note a simple device that we have found useful in reducing square rod-wood to tapered joints in the square. You then can place the joints in a wooden grooved-holder and plane off the edges to convert the tapered square joint into a tapered octagonal joint. The remaining work, of making a rounded swelled-taper joint or whatever kind is wanted, is all done with steel crescentic-notched scrapers (you can make them with a rat-tail file) and sandpaper, manipulated lengthwise of the joints as they at the same time are kept revolving by the other hand.

The top view of this tapering device is shown in Fig. 1. The sides are of wood, three inches wide and one-half inch thick, held about the same distance apart--or slightly more--by the blocks set between the ends. Another piece of board, which fits snugly the space between the other two but is short enough to permit tilting of its ends, simply is slipped in. It is an easy matter to adjust this loose board, and to hold it by ordinary clamps which squeeze it at either end between the outer boards, in such position that you can reduce a squared stick that is laid against its upper edge, and held between the outside boards, to any taper desired, by planing the stick down flush with the upper edges of these outside boards (see Fig. 2). While doing this, the whole affair is held in your bench-vise. The side boards of this rig--or at least their upper edges--are preferably made of fine-grained hard wood; all else may be of any soft wood.

ROD-MAKING:

GLUING UP