Fishing Rods: ala Johnathan Denny

Advice on rods from John Denny’s, “The secrets of angling” written in several editions between about 1605-1655:

 

“I use a Rod of two parts, to joyne in the midst when I come to the River, with two pins, and a little hempe waxed, thus the pins joyne it; the hempe fastens it firmly.”

*see inserted image from original text below*

 

 

“A Whale-bone made round no bigger then an wheat-straw at the top, yields well, and strikes well.

 

“Let your Rod be without knots; they are dangerous for breaking, and boughts are troublesome.

 

“Keep your Rod, neither dry nor too moist, lest they grow brittle or rotten.

 

“When you Angle in drought, wet your Rod, it will not break so soone.

 

“You shall hardly get a Rod of one piece, but either croockt, or top heavy, or unequall growne.”

 

So, to John Denny the two piece rod make a lot more sense as you can get two bits of wood without flaw (knots, crooks, weight issues, etc) and piece them together for a better pole than one could get from a single piece of wood.

 

As for storage of hooks and line:

 

“I use a Pouch of Parchment with many severall places to put my Hooks and Lines in.”

 

Amusingly enough, hubby and I were considering making up pouches like this in parchment or fabric for storage of our hooks and lines.