386 THE PRACTICAL FISHERMAN. 



direction of impact, which I insist shonld be as nearly identical as pos- 

 sible, are in a twisted hook additionally alienated. For ordinary 

 "coarse" fishing I do not think it is an advantage at all, and there- 

 fore I never use it now, but in the case of a thickly-dressed fly it is 

 absolutely necessary that this twist be present, because the dressing, in a 

 certain degree, guards and protects the hook-point. If, therefore, an 

 untwisted hook be taken sideways by a good fish, it will, in all proba- 

 bility, be drawn out without taking hold. A simple illustration of what 

 is here meant may be obtained as follows : Take two flat pieces of cork, 

 and lay an ordinary untwisted hook between them ; draw it from their 

 midst gently, and it will be found that the point has not touched either 

 piece of cork. This could not be done with a sneck-bend. 



I think I may appropriately give in this chapter directions for tying a 

 hook on to gut. 



The whipping material is fine sewing silk, because that gives a better 

 finish to one's work ; it can be got in any colour, and it is stronger and 

 holds better than any other material of its size. Either of the waxes here- 

 after given will be suitable for the purpose. When, in order to produce 

 a nice neat appearance, it is desired to render the whipping silk almost 

 transparent, a little of either of the waxes should be dissolved in 

 spirits of wine, and the silk soaked in it. When wanted for use this 

 should be taken out and just drawn through the fingers to remove the 

 superfluous wax. A piece of deer suet or Eussian tallow in a handy little 

 box will always be found useful to obviate the stickiness of the wax, but 

 it must not be used oftener than absolutely necessary, because it has 

 a tendency to lessen the coherence of the wax, and render it non- 

 adhesive, and consequently almost useless as a waterproof dressing for 

 the silk. 



I will now suppose the tyro has his materials conveniently before 

 him, and wishes to whip his hook to gut. He first of all selects a straight 

 and clear piece of gut without flaw, and cuts off the flat and crooked end 

 with a pair of sharp pointed scissors (which, by the bye, are absolutely 

 necessary to the tackle maker) ; he then takes one end in his mouth, and 

 crushes it to the extent of about iin. between his teeth. This flattens 

 the gut and enables him to lay it closer on the shank of the hook, and 

 therefore to bind it with greater evenness, neatness, and strength. I 

 should have said that the gut ought to be laid on the under side of the 

 hook, as the chance of the binding being frayed above it is considerably 

 decreased by so doing. He then takes the hook in his left hand, and 

 the gut between the forefinger and thumb, and lays the gut on the 

 shank, securing it as shown in Fig. 11. He then commences to bind, 

 either, as in the ordinary hook, from shank to bend, or, as in fly making, as 



