HOOKS AND KNOTS 87 



wire hooks is "that they are stronger, as the 

 stress being received on the greater axis of the 

 section, is better resisted. The barb neck is 

 stronger, as the cutting up of the beard leaves 

 a greater depth of material than in the round, 

 and therefore the strength is greatly increased 

 at this important part. They are also better 

 in the proportion of length of shank to bend, 

 and the points are better placed." 



The first and most important function of a 

 hook is, that when taken into the mouth of 

 a fish it shall lay hold. In all hooks there is 

 a certain amount of spring when pulled. This 

 varies, according to the openness of the bend 

 and thickness of the wire, in proportion to the 

 length of the shank. All this enters into the 

 question of the deflection of the point, after it 

 has laid hold of the fish's mouth, and determines 

 whether, on pulling the gut attached to the end 

 of the shank, the hook will drive through a 

 hard substance (in which case it requires a fair 

 amount of rigidity in the bend), or whether the 

 inclination of its point tends to cut its way out, 

 parallel to the line of pull, or drive deeper at an 

 angle to it. 



In order to ensure the first proposition, that 

 the hook shall lay hold, it is necessary that the 

 point shall be at least parallel to the line of the 

 shank, and it is better if it projects slightly beyond 



