12 THE ANGLER S GUIDE. 



by the hook straightening as by its breaking j a real 

 ivell- tempered hook will neither bend nor break. Small 

 hooks may be tried by holding one between the fore- 

 finger and thumb of each hand by their shanks, and 

 hooking the bended parts together, then pulling and 

 jirking one against the other ; and also reject every 

 hook that is at all blunt at the point. 



Some Anglers tie the line and the length which is fas- 

 tened to the hook together, with a tight knot, instead 

 of using loops, which is a neat way.— Note, those who 

 choose to twist their own lines, may purchase ma- 

 chines, for that purpose, at all the principal fishing- 

 tackle shops, and receive information how to use them. 



In respect to the advantage arising from angling 

 with lines made of single horse-hair and hooks tied to 

 the same over those which are made of fine gut, some 

 difference of opinion exists among Anglers : the advo- 

 cates for gut say, when it is equally fine, and of the 

 same colour of horse-hair, it is not likely to alarm fish 

 ^ny more than horse-hair, and being much stronger, 

 it certainly deserves the preference. This seems plau- 

 sible, but I know, from practice, that fish may be taken, 

 when angling, with a single hair line (especially Roach) 

 that will not touch the bait when offered with a gut 

 line, though the line shall be as fine and of the same 

 colour, &c. as the hair line. To ascertain the fact, I 

 have several times taken off my hair line when Roach 

 have been well on the, feed, and put on one of gut, I 

 could then hardly take a fish. Again, I have changed 

 for the hair line, and again had excellent sport, such 



