----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, July 04, 2008 6:39
AM
Subject: Math challenge
Walter.....
We've had some
deliberations on the CBOG CCI testing committee on questions involving
leaders ..... specifically the, "X" system of classification and the, "rule
of elevens", the, "rule of nines", and the, "rule of three's or fours",
etc.
Dan McCrimmon who is
head of our international committee, has pointed out that the use of
multiple systems of tippet measurement has caused problems as we test
candidates from other countries most of whom have no idea of the use of our,
"x" system.
It has always seemed
to me that this, "X" system may not be a really good one to hold on to
for any reason than tradition. I've read that this was an arbitrary system
developed by the Chinese for determining diameter of material by pulling
silk worm gut through little holes.
We salt water fly
casters, gave up this system many years ago for various reasons one of which
was that we usually used tippet materials of greater diameter than 0 X
. Seemed almost as archaic to many of us as the measurement of horses
in, "hands" and the weights of men in, "stones" as done in the
U.K.
As we talk with folks
in the U.K. and Europe as well as countries in the Orient, we find that few
of them even know what it is .... and don't use it.
Even though I don't
have a math background, I have felt for years that the most logical of the
various systems of measurement involves math to the base ten, ie. the metric
system. (As you know, we use it all the time in
medicine.)
As a math expert, may I call upon you to come up with
a translation table which converts, "X" size to inches ("rule of elevens")
and, then, to millimeters ...... and see if there could be a general, "rule"
to convert to millimeters ??
I'd, also, like to see a simple table comparing leader
breaking strengths at present usually expressed in POUNDS converted to
KG.
Then we could have a
series of discussions on this subject for our Group.
Best,
Gordy
Gordon E. Hill,
M.D.
2175 Coral Way
Big Pine Key, FL
33043
TEL (305) 872-2106