SMALL IRONS 49 



fish's mouth, with a consequent tendency to 

 tear out, and the extra force required to drive 

 them in at the strike is undoubtedly an 

 objectionable feature. Small doubles i.e., 

 less than l inches maybe, and 1 am prepared 

 to believe are, on the whole, an advantage for 

 summer fishing, especially in naturally swift 

 waters. Not the least advantageous points 

 about these are that they swim well and fish 

 deep. But I am by no means satisfied with 

 the correctness of the principle of two hooks 

 brazed together even in small sizes. 



Admitting the convenience of eyed hooks 

 in the smaller sizes, both single and double, 

 for the lightly-dressed flies that are used in the 

 fine, clear waters of the summer months, and 

 recognizing the favours with which small 

 double hooks are regarded by some, I had 

 group D subdivided into four sets of hooks, 

 each set to run concurrently one with another, 

 and consisting of four different sizes of single 

 and double irons respectively (see Plate XI.). 

 The sizes run from 1^ inches down to f inch or 

 f inch (not including the eye itself), the incre- 

 ment of variation being -J- inch. 



The eyes are made as small as is reasonably 



4 



