POUCH. HOOK. 241 



bear off so much in the bending, that a Pike may not 

 only discover the delusion and craft, but if he takes it, 

 it may check him in his feeding, and so hinder him 

 from gorging it. There are two or three sorts of 

 double hooks, besides that of the Snap ; some are flat, 

 and are bent back to back. 



There is another sort that is more sloped, and the 

 bents closer together ; others that hare a round bent 

 much after the form of the Snap, which must always 

 have a full bend and very large ; that is bailed by fix- 

 ing the hook in the middle of the bait, and may have 

 th? lead fastened to ttie wire. The way to use, is to 

 strike soon after the fish bites, and as the Pike runs 

 one way to strike the contrary. 



In the choice of hooks, you may have Some regard 

 to the wire, that it is not rugged or knotty ; for if it is 

 not sound and strong, you may loose both your fish 

 and houk. The first joint of it which is next the lead, 

 must be so long that the tali of the bait may not reach 

 over it ? for if it does, you cannot well fasten it to the 

 joint, though in time of necessity you may untwist the 

 wire of the upper joint, and there fix the thread. 

 Some baits are short, as Roaches ; some are lo? er, as 

 Daces, Bleaks, or large Gudgeons, which ^ n '<re that 

 the hook and wire are both long and proportloaistble to 

 it. The other joint which is fastened to the line must 

 be twice or thrice the length of the other ; lest rlten 

 the Pike hath gorged the bait deep into his ventricle, 

 the wire is not long enough to reach out of his mouth, 

 and so he cuts the line with his teeth; this joint had 

 need be very fine and smooth; if it be rugged, it tears 

 the bait when you put it on. If this is stiff and strong, 

 you need not that which they call the arming wire to 

 help you to thrust it out of the tail of your bait; you 

 may sometimes search your wire, lest it be faulty or 

 broken, especially the lowest joint, for there it often 

 breaks, and may deceive you. 



There are other sorts of hooks for ledger baits ; 

 those are used with live fish, and are not leaded : the 

 hook is rather shorter than the others, but the wir* 

 f 



