124 PIKE AND OTHER COARSE FISH. 



hooks used in these old fashioned spinning flights, contributed 

 much to the heavy percentage of losses. 



The shape or bend of the hooks is also a very critical point 

 as regards the killing powers of any flight. The difference in 

 the killing power between a triangle of Limerick hooks and one 

 of my pattern, or even of the ' Sneck ' bend is not less, perhaps, 

 than one hundred per cent, against the first named. Round 

 bends and Kendal bends stand about midway in penetration; the 

 differences in each case being caused, to a great extent, by the 

 different angles at which the points of the different hooks meet 

 the skin of the fish's mouth when the line is pulled tight. 



The following table shows the results of experiments I have 

 tried with four hooks, selected at random from the stock of a 

 London fishing-tackle maker (they were all No. 2*s of his 

 sizes) : 



Bend of Average pressure required 



hook. to penetrate over barb. 



Limerick ........ 3 Ibs. 



Round 2i Ibs. 



Kendal 2^ Ibs. 



Sneck i A Ibs. 



Now, suppose that only one triangle is used (as in my No. i 

 Flight), of the same size as that above, and of the ' Sneck ' bend, 

 and that no other hook on the flight touches the fish. Well, it is 

 probable, we may assume, that two of the hooks of this triangle 

 will be in contact with the pike's mouth ; therefore a stroke 

 equal to three pounds pressure at the very least \\ill be required 

 to fix these two hooks over the barb, and that without taking 

 into account the resistance offered by the holding of the bait 

 itself between the fish's jaws. Have any of my readers ever 

 tried what the pressure actually exerted by an ordinary stroke 

 with a jack-rod is at, say, twenty five yards? If not let me 

 suggest a slight experiment which will assist them, perhaps, 

 in future in judging what the force really exerted by ordinary 

 striking is : 



Take a three-pound weight, and adding another pound to 



