1 6 HOOKS. 



a good plan to have a small needle- file in 

 the tackle-case, as very often a touch or two 

 with this will repair the damage. But then, 

 again, a hook may be over- tempered, that 

 is, too much of the hardening is taken 

 out, and than the hook becomes a perfect 

 nuisance ; all. the spring is gone, and the first 

 time a fish is struck out goes your hook 

 " straight," and away goes your fish to in- 

 form his friends or write to his own special 

 paper about the wonderful electric worm or 

 fly that gave a marvellous kick directly he 

 touched it. It is of no use to bend that hook 

 back to its shape : take it off, and try the next 

 before joining to your line. The tempering 

 is performed in a fine sand-bath over a branch 

 of the furnace, and it is really wonderful how 

 very few mistakes occur, considering the im- 

 mense number of hooks that pass through the 

 hands of the " temperer." The instant that 

 this important functionary considers they have 

 arrived at the proper stage, they are shot 

 into a sieve to separate them from the sand, 

 and then are turned out on a table to cool. 

 The hooks are now fit for packing, having 

 received their blue shade in the tempering ; 

 in the case of "Limerick" and other hooks 

 which are usually japanned, this is done after 

 the tempering process. A large quantity 

 are placed in a species of metal basin, and 

 being warmed gently, a very small portion of 

 black japan is poured on them, and they are 



