34 SALMON FLIES 



If the point of a hook which has been 

 attached to a piece of gut is lightly fixed into 

 the edge of a cork or soft deal board, with the 

 shank of the hook parallel to the surface of the 

 board, and a pull is given to the gut (which, 

 for the purpose in view, must also be kept 

 parallel to the surface of the board), the tip of 

 the shank will at once dip down and touch 

 the board. This position is regarded as the 

 one invariably assumed by a hook at the 

 moment of "engagement" i.e., the moment 

 when the hook grasped in the salmon's mouth 

 is subjected to the opposing forces represented 

 respectively by the uplifting of the rod-point 

 on the part of the angler and the downward- 

 moving bulk of the salmon, aided by the 

 volume and momentum of the water pressing 

 against it. Accordingly, the correctness of 

 the mechanical construction of a hook is 

 generally criticized by reference to this posi- 

 tion, which is represented diagrammatically by 

 joining the tips of shank and point together 

 by a straight line, which is subsequently pro- 

 duced at each extremity (see the line AB in 

 Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6). 



It appears to be generally admitted that the 



