8 MODERN PRACTICAL ANGLER. 
tution of a necessarily more or less yielding and elastic curve for a per- 
fectly straight and rigid shank, cannot but affect adversely the pene- 
trating powers. As regards the penetration of the point itself, it is 
clear that, other circumstances being equal, the smaller the hole to be 
made the less will be the force required to make it; and also that a 
long straightly tapered point, like that shown in figure 1, will penetrate 
more easily than a shorter and “ blunter,” or Aol/owed-out point of the 
form represented in figure 3. This latter principle, is merely, in fact, 
a converse application of the mechanical truism, that what is gained in 
speed is lost in power. If two barbs are of the same maximum 
diameter, and one is twice as long as the other, the longer barb will 
for practical purposes penetrate with half the pressure required by the 
shorter. 
Again, with regard to the “ point-side” of the barb (c d in diagram), it 
is obvious that in order to insure a firm and deep penetration this side 
must be of a proper length. The want of length in this part of the 
hook is one of the faults of the “Sproat-bend” which is exaggerated 
for sake of illustration in figure 3. 
Holding power.—To illustrate this I shall take a case which is both 
the most common in practice and will admit of a theoretical demonstra- 
tion: that of the hook having penetrated quite through the lip of the fish, 
so that the point protrudes. In this case it is evident that, when once 
hooked, the nearer the point approaches the shank of the hook, the 
less chance must the fish have of escaping. ‘This will be seen by car- 
rying the principle to the extreme limit—and assuming that the point 
was so bent in after hooking as actually to touch the shank; the fish’s 
lip would then be enclosed in a complete triangle, from which, of 
course, there could be no possible escape. 
Strength.—It is obvious that those portions of the hook which are 
nearly or quite in the same line as the penetrating or holding force, have 
little or no strain to bear. ‘This is the case with the shank and with 
the short or point-side of the hook shown in the engraving fig. 1. The 
strain, therefore, is thrown on the top side, and more especially on the 
augle f, and it is precisely in this point that the common sneck-bends 
have hitherto failed in practice. So marked has been this failure 
that I have known three Salmon to be lost within an hour, with sneck 
hooks, all by breakages at the angle in question. 
Lightness and neatness-—The lightest form of hook, other points 
