384 THE PRACTICAL FISHERMAN, 



and like hooks, my invention is an invaluable one. Of course each 

 hook requires to be of the best quality. I have had one, which was 

 specially made for me, in use for six months, and it still works perfectly. 

 Of course, the gut has been renewed several times. 



Though this hook, owing to my imperfect draughtmanship, as it appears 

 now is very ugly, it can, of course, be made in a light and elegant manner. 

 The dotted lines indicate the close coincidence between the line of impact 

 and the direction of applied force much closer than in the Pennell in 

 fact it is almost identical. 



It has been said that the shape most suitable for the single hook is, 

 unqualifiedly the best for the triplet form used in jack-fishing. This 

 conclusion is, without the smallest doubt, wrong ; 

 because the hooks often impact upon the fish 

 three at a time, and, consequently, the line of 

 the direction of force is widely different as re- 

 gards the points of triplets to that in the case 

 of a single hook. The usual shape for triplets 

 is here figured (Fig. 8), and if the movable barb 

 were added the best kind of triangle hook would 

 be represented. 



As regards the barb difficulty, I may add that 

 there has been an attempt to get over it in 

 America, and I give an illustration of the result (Fig. 9). I have tried 

 a specimen of this hook, and it does not work in English waters. I 

 missed four out of five chub, 

 and the sixth broke the hook. 

 The annexed drawing (Fig. 

 10) shows the " needle eye " 

 pattern of hook, and I confess 

 to liking it. I have had 

 some hooks made, however, 

 with an eye similar to C. A 

 is the needle eye, B the 

 method of tying it. 



As a means of satisfying 

 the reader that these im- 



FIG. 9. AMERICAN provements can be made with- 

 BARBLESS HOOK. 



out special mechanical diffi- 

 culty, and with the object of offering a con- 

 trast to the directions given by Dame 

 Berners, I will describe generally the modus 

 operandi of hook making, as practised by FlG> 10 - NEEDLE-EYED 



FIG. 8. TRIPLET HOOK. 



