438 



THE PRACTICAL FISHERMAN. 



feeling the wire and lead, wonld leave the bait. I have experienced 

 this a hundred times, in point of fact. 



If the reader turns back to what I said in the chapter on Pike con- 

 cerning the teeth of that fish, he will find that this assigned cause of the 

 creature leaving the bait after taking it is an extremely likely one. Yet 

 a great majority of the gorge hooks sold now are made on the supposition 

 that the lead in the throat of the bait, and the wire 

 shank of hardened brass, and therefore inflexible, 

 which often shows itself beyond the end of the tail, 

 are necessary to a good hook. 



Mr. Pennell's hook here shown (Fig. 57), however, 

 did away with this, and as flexibility was required he 

 sought, by reducing the size and shape of the lead, to 

 get this in perfection. This he has not, however, 

 accomplished, for the lead itself is not flexible, and 

 therefore the fish very often finds this out with his long 

 canine teeth. Moreover, every different sized bait re- 

 quired a change of hook, gimp, &c. Let me put an ex- 

 treme case. Suppose there were a dozen different sized 

 baits : to give each of them the most perfect chance of 

 taking a fish, a dozen different sized hooks ought to be 

 in readiness, or at least carried with the angler. My 

 design obviates this. It is made, as is imperfectly shown 

 in the engraving (Fig. 59) on opposite page, by different 

 sized leads linked together by an easy slip link, so that, 

 according to the size of the bait, 

 they may be increased in num 

 ber and size, or decreased. The 

 hook is also made in this fashion 

 (Fig. 58), or all in one piece, 

 and as the angler carries in his 

 hook box various sizes, so he can 

 slip on a different one at once. 



Before saying anything further, 

 I must make an observation 

 about the annexed cut. The 

 hook should not be closed and brazed in the shank, but be slightly 

 separated all round, like that in Fig. 59 opposite. It then slips easily 

 into and out of the ring placed at the end of the first lead. 



Now, here are the advantages of my pattern. Suppose, as is some 

 times the case, there are a dozen different sized baits in your bait can 

 If it is found that the gorge hook is too long for the bait you wish to 



FIG. 57. 



PENNELL'S GORGE 

 HOOK. 



FIG. 58. BRAZED 

 GORGE HOOK. 



