TACKLE AND FISHING GEAR. 17 



tured, as others were very defective. It has, however, one 

 radical defect looked at from a mechanical point of view, 

 namely, that the point side is crooked or turned sideways, the 

 ' penetration ' diminishing, of course, in proportion as the point 

 is turned from the direction of the applied force. This is the 

 theory. In practice, the results of my experiments fully bear 

 it out, and though it may occasionally happen, and I dare say 

 does, that the turned-out point of the ' sneck ' bend hooks will 

 scratch or prick a fish's mouth when the straight bend would 

 not do so, yet in every real essential of a killing hook I am 

 satisfied that the un-turned-out point is to be preferred for filling 

 the fly fisher's creel. 



For salmon flies neither the genuine ' sneck ' bend, nor my 

 own variation just described, appears to be popular. One reason 

 of this is that in all hocks of the ' sneck ' bend a great strain 

 is put on the top angle at the end of the shank ; and it is 

 at this point accordingly that they have been found to fail in 

 practice. In fact I have known three salmon to be lost in one 

 hour owing in each case to breakages of the hook at the angle 

 in question. I believe that in my old pattern referred to the 

 danger was minimised by slightly thickening the hook at this 

 its weak point, but I cannot help thinking that another reason 

 for the non-adoption of it and other varieties of the ' sneck ' 

 bend for salmon flies was owing to the fact that many fishermen 

 consider that the fly looks somewhat 'prettier,' or more artistic, 

 when dressed upon the Limerick or Sproat bends. I have, 

 therefore, endeavoured, as far as possible, to adapt the general 

 outline of these bends to the mechanical requirements of the 

 case, and the outcome has been seen in the salmon hook, fig. 13. 



Before taking leave of the subject of salmon hooks, one 

 word about the double hooks for salmon flies. These should 

 be set at an angle of about 40, and brazed together ; as when 

 'whipped' they are both clumsy, and, from want of rigidity, 

 lose half their effectiveness. I have no doubt whatever that 

 for salmon hooks, especially of the smaller sizes, the double 

 hook has many great advantages, and I hear that on some rivers, 



i. c 



