63 



a good hook for large flies, as at present made 

 by O'Shaughnessy, of Limerick. His is not 

 too proud in the barb, and is, generally, pro- 

 perly tapered. The Carlisle hook may also 

 rank amongst the good ones." 



Mr. Taylor, who is quite at variance with 

 us respecting the shape of hooks he prefer- 

 ring those which are straight, and we those 

 that are crooked in the bend says, " Your 

 choice of hooks should be those made of the 

 best-tempered fine steel wire ; generally long- 

 ish in the shank, and strong, and rather 

 deepish in the bend; the point fine and 

 straight, and as true as it can be set, to be 

 level with the shank, which, for fly-making, 

 should be tapered off to the end of it, that the 

 fly may be finished the neater; be careful also 

 that the hook has a good barb. I have, by 

 many years' experience, found these kinds of 

 hooks to be more sure, and better than any 

 crooked hooks whatever ; they do not make so 

 large an orifice when you hook a fish, nor are 

 they so liable to break the hold through, as 

 the crooked-bent ones are; and in trying 

 them for several seasons one against another, 

 I found that I missed, in the rising or biting 

 at bottom, considerably more fish, and lost 

 more after being hooked with the crooked 

 ones, than with those I have here described, 



