38 Fly-rods and Fly-tacJde. 



was a later, and, in my judgment, a decided improve- 

 ment. It may be had in all sizes larger than and in- 

 cluding No. 8. I have not seen or heard of it in smaller 

 sizes, perhaps because it has been found to make the 

 small hooks too clumsy. 



The change from the black japan to the bronze was 

 apparently a consequence of the addition of the eye, 

 which the black japan was apt to clog in its application. 

 Since the eye was only applied to hooks of the first 

 quality, and since these were usually bronzed, the 



bronzing came to be considered by consumers an indi- 

 cation of quality. Competition is so keen nowadays 

 that to cater to every general whim of the consumer 

 class is a condition of pecuniary success in manufactur- 

 ing. So bronzing began to be substituted for japanning 

 in hooks of the ordinary form by no means an im- 

 provement in my judgment. Still, until four or five 

 years ago, bronzing was really strong presumptive evi- 

 dence of good quality in a fish-hook. But in the natural 



