HOOKS. 79 



The following will be found the most suitable appli- 

 cation of hooks to fish : 



Salmon and barbel ... ... ... ... No. 1 



Chub 2 



Trench and trout .. ... ... ,. ... 3 



Perch and eels ... ... ... ... ... ... 4 



Flounders ... ... ... ... ... ... 6 



Bream, dace, and ruffe ... ... ... ... ... 9 



Grayling and roach ... ... ... ... 10 11 



Gudgeon 12 



Bleak, loaches, miller's thumb, minnows, and salmon fry, 13 



Care should be taken not to use a hook longer than 

 is necessary. A skilful angler can take a large fish 

 with a small hook, and it gives him a great advantage 

 in his sport. For bottom-fishing, a short-shanked hook 

 should be used. 



To tie the hook on the line, provide some strong 

 but fine silk, as near the colour of the bait as possible, 

 and wax it well with shoemaker's wax. Then, 

 having passed the silk three or four times round the 

 body of the hook, lay the gut or hair inside of it, 

 and go on wrapping the silk tightly round it, about 

 three parts down the hook. Before tying on hooks,* 

 however, it is necessary to test their quality, lest they 

 should break when you are taking a fish. To do this, 

 pull them moderately. If they break, there is an end 

 of them; if they straighten, throw them away. The point 

 of each hook, also, should be examined, and if blunt, 

 it should be thrown aside. 



* As before stated, however, it is much better to purchase the 

 hooks ready tied on, of the fishing-tackle maker. They will be 

 found much neater than when tied on by the angler himself. 



