HOOKS AND KNOTS 85 



are first rough-polished to remove all grease and 

 dirt, which permits the change of colour to be 

 seen by the operator, as heat is again applied to 

 them. This tempering is done by placing the 

 hardened hooks in hot sand or emery, where 

 they are kept on the move by a skilled mechanic, 

 who knows from their peculiar colour when they 

 are correctly tempered. After this they are 

 polished in revolving cylinders, in which sand 

 or emery is placed with them. The finishing 

 process is to japan, blue, or rust-proof them as 

 required, when they are ready for market. 



In treating hooks in large quantities, it is 

 naturally impossible that all and every hook 

 should be perfect, and therefore they are sorted 

 by the maker before he sends them out. It is 

 further necessary, before the hook is accepted 

 as perfect, for the salmon fly dresser to test it 

 for sharpness and strength. This, of course, can 

 only be done in a high-class trade, and not 

 where hooks are dressed by the gross for export 

 or ordinary shop sale by general dealers. 



The variety of shapes is very great, but the 

 chief are, varieties of the "Limerick," "round," 

 and "sneck" bends, the "Limerick" being mostly 

 used for large flies, the "round" for bait hooks, 

 and the "sneck" for small flies. 



The question of shape is very important, and 

 also the relative proportion of length of shank 



