32 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 



any other form of fly-fishing, and that consequently the 

 merits of a hook may therein receive a most crucial test. 

 While, after careful consideration, I cannot say the 

 Pennell hook failed less frequently than the Sproat of 

 like size (which I had used for so many years, and in 

 the superiority of which I had so abiding a faith), still 

 I must admit that whenever, during the latter part of my 

 trip, I wished to tie a new fly, I invariably ignored the 

 Sproat and Sneck hooks, and selected the Pennell. For 

 nearly six weeks I rang the changes on these forms of 

 hook in the endeavor to determine practically the rel- 

 ative value of each; and as far as such a trial justifies 

 an opinion, I believe the Pennell hook to be all its 

 inventor claims for it. The Sneck bend did not an- 

 swer my expectations. These were the first unlackered 

 (blued) hooks I had ever used, and they will be the last. 

 After a few days' use, they rusted so abominably as to 

 ruin every fly tied upon them. Owing to this cause, 

 perhaps that hook was not as fairly tested as it should 

 have been, and further trial may yet show that its prac- 

 tical is equal to its theoretical efficiency. 



