18 SALMON AND TROUT. 



the bend ; (2) the angle at which the short, or point-side, of 

 the hook stands in relation to the shank ; and (3) the shape of 

 the point and barb. In proportion as the point is long, fine, 

 and conically tapered (and therefore, of course, very little 

 'hollowed out' inside), so, c&teris paribus, will be its tendency 

 to bury itself in whatever it comes in contact with ; as the 

 direction of this barbed point, and the angle of the short or 

 point-side (or angle of impact), coincides with the direction of 

 the applied force (i.e. in this case the ' pull ' of the line) so will 

 be its penetrating (or hooking) inclination ; and as the shank 

 is long in proportion to the width of the bend, so will be the 

 general power it gives the hook in striking a fish and in holding 

 him when struck. 



It may be added that, as the greatest strain is always borne 

 by the top angle of the bend, such angle should be formed, not 

 ' square,' but in the strongest shape known to mechanics, viz., a 

 curve (or the segment of a circle) sharper or more gradual accord- 

 ing to the other conditions desiderated. 



Although it is very difficult to give an accurate rendering of 

 fish-hooks by means of wood-engraving, a glance at the diagrams, 

 pp. n and 1 6, will, I hope, convince the 'educated' eye that 

 an attempt, at least, has been made to combine these various 

 essentials giving to each its due weight and proportion so as 

 to bring out a mechanically reliable result. 



DEFECTIVE HOOK-BENDS. 



The diagrams above are good illustrations of defective 

 hooks. They embrace nearly every vice which, mechanically 



