52 TROUT-FISHING FOR THE BEGINNER 



the point is turned outwards to some extent, 

 which is not the case with the round bend. 

 I prefer the latter, because once the point 

 penetrates, there is a dead straight pull, 

 whereas when the line tightens on a sneck 

 hook, the pull is out of the straight. Round 

 bend hooks are less likely to scrape and lose 

 their hold than the sneck 

 bend. Whichever type of 

 hook is used, the dressing 

 of the fly should in no way 

 interfere with the hook- 

 point. In an over-dressed 

 fly the hackle is often in- 

 clined to do so. An arti- 

 ficial fly being extremely light in weight, even 

 a small whisk of feather is sufficient to deflect 

 the hook if the trout rises at all short. The 

 bend and point of the hook should be the first 



FIG. 11. AN OVER- 

 DRESSED FLY. 



FIG. 12. LIGHTLY DRESSED 

 WINGED FLY ON No. 3 

 HOOK. 



FIG. 13. LIGHTLY DRESSED 

 SPIDER FLY ON No. 3 

 HOOK. 



thing to enter a trout's mouth, not a length 

 of feather dressing, which protrudes beyond. 

 A trout is remarkably quick to seize a fly 

 and equally smart at ejecting it, so the less 



