m&M: - Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission

w as the piece he'd been looking and waiting for—so patiently-as
elusive as James Hilton's Shangri-La retreat.
* l w ould be fashioned into a two-piece, eight-foot rod, the
^ ne st possible product of his craft, not for himself but for
" is son when he was able to handle it and ripe enough to
a PPreciate it. Boyd Harrison's stream experience, workup
know-how, and independent mind already had made
hiTn the initial champion of the two-piece eight-footer.
He smiled down at the little towhead, his only child,
and assured him: "Sonny, someday you'll own and fish
*Wi the greatest rod ever made. You'll enjoy it and care
0r it long after I'm gone. It's my memento-for you."
(. T he boy, Frank didn't understand all the words, and
b e tone of his father's voice was one he'd never heard
° re > but he smiled approvingly.
"arrison used the greatest care in setting the mold,
c ec king and rechecking the special measurements of the
t°nvex and converse tapers. A meticulous job of splita
m S and planing the strips followed, the nodes being
(Ranged spirally. Gluing was done with a new hot vegeable
compound, and the individual strips were bound
ckly together with his refined gluing machine. The
^ su ltant seams fitted so tightly that no gaps whatsoever
^ ere visible to the naked eye. Tolerances, when the sides
ere
calipered at any point up or down the rod, apr
°ached the zero mark.
^ r ° insure a perfect ferrule-cane fit the stick was sent to
tr env er, to dry in that clear, damp-free air. Harrison
c av eled well acoss the continent just to fit those ferrules.
as ar ^ u lly he worked down the cane to the same diameter
pa the ferrule into which it must fit. Heat treatment exea
nded the ferrule, and the cane was driven home. Back
a S again, the cane absorbed moisture and swelled so
p fte connection never could loosen. The exposed
p/ ts °f the ferrule and the reel seat were lavishly gold-
Jj d > and the satin-cork grip worked into perfect form.
su hen the completed wand was flexed, the action was
th P t erb ' Never before had Harrison set into motion a rod
W* felt so kg 11 *- vet settled so quickly. Never before had
./fft one with such delicate yet sure power.
VjJ^ si & wrappings were scarlet, edged with black.
str. rnis « went on in a dust-proof room. On one of the six
"fcXp rfgllt above the smooth griP- he inscribe