THE REEL, LINE AND FLIES 49 



advantages of the eyed hook could very well 

 be emphasized in detail; at present I can only 

 urge every fly fisherman to adopt the use of the 

 eyed fly for either dry or wet fly-fishing. If 

 for no other reason than that of economy, the 

 use of the eyed hook justifies itself: the feelings 

 of the angler, who when looking over and test- 

 ing his tackle for the approaching trout season 

 pulls the snells without difficulty out of an 

 even two dozen of the old-style trout flies which 

 have never even been once used, are best left 

 to the imagination. 



Eyed hooks are made in two styles, with 

 turned-up and turned-down eye; that is, in the 

 case of the turned-down eye the eye is on the 

 under side of the hook shank or bent toward 

 the barb of the hook, the opposite being true 

 of the other form. Much controversy has 

 taken place regarding the respective merits of 

 the two styles of eyed hooks, various authori- 

 ties enthusiastically and convincingly champion- 

 ing either one or the other. It would seem that 

 each form has its virtues and is quite satis- 

 factory. Undoubtedly the reader, impartially 

 experimenting with both styles, will soon dis- 

 cover which is best for him. The greater 

 part of the floating flies which come to this 

 country are dressed on turned-up eyed hooks. 



