TROUT HOOKS. 483 



shows a hook which I have a high opinion of It was 

 first introduced to me by Dr. Sheil years ago, and he 

 gave me a pattern. Lately, when writing to him about 

 the hook, he sent me another pattern precisely similar, 

 but recommended that the shank should be lengthened 

 slightly, and I wrote to Messrs. Allcock, of Redditch, who 

 were the makers of the pattern, to send me some of the 

 improved pattern. The only objection to the hook which 

 the Doctor mentions is, that in deadish water it hangs 

 rather up and down too much, though in a swift stream 

 it swims on an even keel. An admirable hook is one 

 called the Sproat bend, being the invention of Mr. Sproat, 

 of Ambleside. A drawing of it may be seen in Plate XV. 

 fig. 10. Whether hooks should be heavily or lightly 

 ironed will always depend on circumstances not worth 

 considering here. 



Passing from salmon, we come to trout hooks ; and for 

 large flies up to sea-trout size there is nothing like a good 

 bold Limerick. In lake or still-water fishing the fly should 

 swim upon an even keel, and therefore no sneck bend or 

 twisted point should be employed, or the balance cannot 

 be fairly maintained. In swift or troubled water this is 

 not of so much consequence. In small trout flies the point 

 must be twisted slightly, or the hook will often fail to take 

 hold at all, for the body and the hackle will often stand out 

 sufficiently to help to guard the point to some extent, and 

 if the hook chance to be taken flat or sideways in the 

 mouth of a good fish, it may be pulled from his mouih 

 without the point coming in contact with the flesh at all. 

 To prove this, let the reader lay such a fly flatly between 

 two pieces of softish card and draw it out : it will come 

 out without a scratch. Not so if it be slightly twisted, as 

 in the sneck bend. For these reasons I prefer for all 

 small flies a sneck bend. The point should be as fine and 

 sharp as possible, but not too long ; the barb should be 



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