Fish-hooks. 21 



It is hoped it will now be conceded that the " inner" 

 and not the " outer," profile of the barb determines the 

 direction in which the hook will respond to a pull upon 

 the line. It also results from these considerations that 

 the greater the angle which the " inner " profile of the 

 barb makes with the " draft-line," the deeper the hook 

 will bury, if it penetrates at all. 



If it penetrates at all, and here, practically, is the pith 

 of the whole matter. For if the hook does not penetrate 

 at all, the thought of what might have happened had 

 this been otherwise will afford but cold comfort to him 

 who uses it. 



Now if we place any hook bought at random in the 

 market, in the position shown in the following figure, it 

 is at once apparent that the "advancing" side of the 

 barb a makes a sufficient angle with the " draft-line," to 

 insure that if the barb enters at all it must bury. So 

 we may dismiss this requirement from our minds as 

 being sufficiently satisfied in any hook which has a barb. 



We may then turn our undivided attention to the prob- 

 lem how to secure this all-important first engagement. 

 This appears to admit of solution by an easy method, 

 one having, it would seem, the merit that it permits of 

 practical application at a glance, and under almost any 

 circumstances. 



Let A (Fig. 6) be a hook placed in the position shown 

 upon any flat surface, B C (the glass of the dealer's 



Fig. 6. 



