CHAPTER XIIL 



HOOKS. 



" For in the Prophet Amos, mention is made of fish-hooks ; and in the book 

 of Jol), which was long before tlie days of Amos, for that book is said to liave 

 been written by Moses, mention is made also of fish-liooks, which must imply 

 anglers in those times."— Izaak Walton. 



The best fish-hooks are made in England, that country 

 supplying the world with hooks of all sizes and styles, for 

 all kinds of fishing. The town of Redditch has been 

 famous for its fish-hooks for at least two centuries. There, 

 are located the celebrated makers, Harrison, Hemming, 

 Alcock, and others, whose familiar names are almost sy- 

 nonymous with hooks and needles, both articles being 

 usually made by the manufacturers mentioned. 



The following brief account of the process of making 

 fish-hooks will doubtless prove interesting to most of my 

 readers. It is an extract from a letter in the Forest and 

 Stream, written by Miss Sara J. McBride, of Oswego, New 

 York, the well-known, skillful tyer of artificial flies ; and 

 whose writings are as charming and attractive as her 

 artistic imitations of the insect world. The letter is one 

 descriptive of a recent visit to the celebrated factory of 

 Alcock, at Redditch, England: — 



And this is Alcock's ! How femiliar the name ! What a host of 

 reminiscences rise as we enter the doors — "Round Bend Kendall," 

 " Kirby," " Sneck Bend," "Alcock's Best ; " all spring up like phan- 

 tom forms. Through the kindly courtesy of Mr. Alcock Ave were 



(283) 



