EXAMINE YOUR TACKLE. 



87 



As the play of the sheepshead yields a new sensation to 

 the amateur who for the first time indulges the penchant of 

 angling for this dinner luxury, and as the modus operandi of 

 its capture is somewhat peculiar, the opposite sketch is giv- 

 en to indicate the forms and sizes of the hooks and sinkers 

 used by anglers with rod and reel, and by members of the 

 hand-line committee. 



No. 1. Hook of the Sproat bend, small but strong, of finest 

 tempered steel, and the short point and barb sharpened like 

 a fine knife-blade, not round and needle-pointed like those 

 for striped bass and squeteague. There is a fine gimp-wire 

 loop wound to the shank with fine waxed sewing silk or 

 fine linen thread. I recommend waxed linen thread when 

 snells are wound to hooks for any of the respectable sized 

 game fishes of our estuaries ; for fresh water, silk is pref- 

 erable. 



No. 2. Shank-headed hook, with the line fastened below the 

 head by two or three half hitches, the same as for use in 

 fishing for large striped bass. In fastening the line to the 

 hook, cast the two half hitches around below the head, then 

 turn up the end of the line and cast another half hitch over 

 the shank and the end of line, filling the space to the head. 

 Then draw* the hitch tight, cut off the end of line even with 

 the head of hook, and turn the hook in the tie until it turns 

 easily, and you have the best possible hook-rigging. The 

 hook should be made of finest tempered steel, and the point 

 very sharp, or it will be either turned or broken in the mo- 

 saic pavement of the mouth before it slides to the rim of 

 the jaw, and by the turn of the fish fastens the hook in the 

 lip or corner of the mouth. 



No. 3. This is the size of hook for hand-line fishing, at which 

 a large business is done during July and August, and some- 

 times throughout September. There is a greater nunfber 

 caught by the hand-line than by sweep-nets or seines, the 

 only other methods of taking them for market. The Vir- 

 ginia bend, like 3, with knife-blade edges of barb and point, 



