51 



While tliis instrument is affixed, the butt joint must 

 be taken off, and be used separately, the line being kept 

 as tight as the situation may demand by the residue of 

 the rod. It is also a good plan, to have one of the same 

 form attached to a taper plug, made to fit into both the 

 first and the second joints of your rod. This is more 

 manageable \ but, unless well fixed, there is some dan- 

 ger of die plug being drawn forth,, and eventually lost, 

 when the hook is used. 



The Disgorgcr. 



This is an extremely useful implement for liberating 

 the hook, when jour bait has been swallowed by a fish, 

 Jacks, perch, mid eeh, and sometimes troufs, when 

 hungry, are very apt to get you into this difficulty. 



It is true, that by means of a good stout knife, well 

 sharpened, you may cut down through the junction of 

 the jaw bone?, and thus lay open the whole ; but such 

 -an operation is not in itself vcxy delicate, and creates, 

 besides, so much filth, as spoils -every thing with which 

 it comes in contact. 



Disgorgers are of various shapes , the most simple, 

 however, is that made on rather a long fiat stem of 

 steel, not unlike the shape of the handle of a spoon, and 

 having at the end, which is pointed, and ought to be 

 very sharp, an angle, made also very sharp, both within 

 and without; so that when the instrument is pushed 

 past the place where your Itook is fast, it may, in drawiner 

 Tip again, divide that part, and consequently allow your 

 hook liberty to come forth, without straining your line, 

 which, during this operation, should be kept over to the 

 opposite side of the fish's mouth. 



D 2 A sketch 



