TROUT HOOKS 347 



the better, and the farther off the fly is dressed from the bend 

 of the hook (in reason) the better too, as the point has then a 

 fairer play. In the south of Scotland and north of England 

 they are very fond of the round bend, and it answers very well 

 for the flies it is used for. These are usually dressed sparely, 

 and have scarcely any body compared with the southern 

 patterns, the lapping of the silk often forming all the body. 

 The wing and hackle are exceedingly slight, and afford no 

 guard or let whatever to the point of the hook. The fly is 

 dressed high up the shank, so that the bend comes out far 

 behind the fly. Thus dressed, they answer the purpose they 

 are designed for. 



I now come to the consideration of hooks for spinning tackle. 

 The large single hooks much in vogue for spinning minnows 

 for trout should all be of the round bend. There is no better 

 hook for this purpose, as it communicates the proper twist to 

 the tail, and is the correct pattern and size in respect both to 

 the point and barb. If triangles be used, the brazed ones do 

 well enough, but care should be taken to see that the points be 

 not too long nor the barbs too rank ; though a trifle more may 

 be yielded in the latter point than is advisable in fly hooks, as 

 a harder stroke can be afforded, but it is the fashion often to 

 make these hooks so very rank in the barb that considerable 

 difficulty is found in forcing the barb home. And it should 

 be always borne in mind that, as two or even the whole three 

 hooks may take hold of the flesh, it requires very much more 

 force to drive two or three hooks home than one, and if more 

 than one triangle be used, of course this difficulty is increased 

 proportionally. As a hard stroke is often requisite, it will be 

 seen, too, that a stouter wire should be employed in the hook 

 than is used for fly hooks, lest the hook break, which brazed 

 hooks are more or less apt to do. I think that the heat they 

 are submitted to in brazing rather over-tempers them, or in 

 some way affects the temper, and that too very irregularly, 

 for while some hooks seem to stand well enough, others do 

 not appear to do so, more particularly if they have been used 

 at all and then laid by for a time. Of all tackle oldish spinning- 

 tackle made of brazed hooks is the most untrustworthy, and 

 many a time have I rued the loss of fine fish solely because I 

 have put up a flight of last year's tackle without testing the 

 hooks first. I have seen one, two, and even three hooks 

 stripped, that is, the points and barbs broken off from one 

 flight by a stroke which ought not to have broken a single hook. 



