88 SALMON FISHING 



it, so that the first thing to touch is the point ; 

 and yet, take any of your salmon flies tied on 

 " Limerick " hooks and place them with the shank 

 parallel to the top of a table, then note where 

 the point is ! You will probably be surprised to 

 find it as shown in the illustration, Fig. 1, which 

 is undoubtedly bad. The "oval," shown as 

 Fig. 2, is vastly superior in this respect, and 

 would probably account for a fish Fig. 1 would 

 miss. 



Then as to deflection. The length of the 

 shank is very important, as it is from the end 

 of it that the gut line gives the pull to the 

 hook ; the longer the shank, and consequently 

 the narrower the proportionate bend, the more 

 directly will the pull come in line with the point, 

 and may cause a hook like Fig. 1 to cut its way 

 out. What is required is, that the proportion 

 of length and bend, considered in relation to the 

 inclination and first position of the point, shall 

 be such, that a pull from the end of the shank 

 will cause the point to take a hold, and that 

 further pulling will drive it in, and take a deeper 

 hold. But herein we have a difficulty, inasmuch 

 as if the point strike into a fleshy part, it will 

 not deflect so much, as if it strike into a harder 

 place where it meets a greater resistance, par- 

 ticularly on a bone ; and thus it is difficult, when 

 the amount of spring is considered, to determine 



