OVER AND UNDER TEMPERING. 477 



bone. In these instances a touch of a fine needle-file (the 

 finest kind of file in use) will put all to rights again ; but 

 so biting and effective are these files that they cut very 

 keenly, and, therefore, a slight touch or two is all that is 

 necessary. But, of course, with over- tempered hooks this 

 accident is infinitely more probable. An over-tempered 

 hook, however, a fresh point being given to it, will often 

 take a number of fish without going again, the extra fine 

 hair-like point having been got rid of, and all that will 

 be required will be a rather sharper strike. Still, with a 

 heavy fish you are never safe ; a jump or a jerk may leave 

 you without a fish, and only half a hook. This I have 

 seen on many occasions, when not the slightest blame was 

 due to the angler, save for his buying untrustworthy 

 hooks. As a rule, the angler should always try his hooks. 

 Stick the point carefully into a piece of soft deal or cork, 

 and then give the gut a smart (not too smart) tug, and if the 

 hook stands you may fairly rely upon it. This is advisable 

 with all hooks, for, though good tackle-makers, as a rule 

 do usually buy good hooks, and pay a fair price for them, 

 a few bad hooks may creep into every packet. 



But, if an over-tempered hook be a nuisance, an under- 

 tempered one is ten times more so. An under-tempered 

 hook springs or opens with very little persuasion ; that 

 is, the bend and shape of the hook is destroyed, the point 

 stands outward, the efficiency of the hook is gone, and an 

 entire change of fly is necessary. It is not of the slightest 

 avail to bend the hook back into its place again, as, having 

 once been sprung, it will spring again much more easily. 

 The point off your hook is not as bad as a sprung hook. 

 What can be more annoying than to find the fish well on 

 the rise at some particular fly, to hunt out perhaps one 

 solitary specimen of the fly from a half-forgotten corner 

 of your book, and then, after taking a fish or two, to find 

 the hook sprung ? 



