HOOKS. 17 



quickly manipulated with a pair of forks, 

 which causes them to be effectually varnished 

 without allowing the japan to become 

 " clotty." It is evident that, given good steel 

 wire, everything depends on the temperer; 

 very few indeed there are really first-rate in 

 this department, which requires good judg- 

 ment, and knowledge of what is required for 

 the finest wire used in the manufacture of 

 midge-flies and the coarse material worked 

 up for sea-hooks. But "good" wire must 

 be used, and that of a size in proportion to 

 the size of the hook; not too stout, or the hook 

 is too heavy, and will require too hard a 

 strike to cause it to penetrate ; and on the 

 other hand, if too fine, and the wire is good, 

 when a fish is struck the hook springs suffi- 

 ciently to allow the fish to come unhooked, 

 and then the hook returns to its original 

 shape, whilst you puzzle your brains to 

 account for the loss, till it has sprung once 

 too often, and breaks off at the " bend." 



The shapes mostly used in Pike-fishing are 

 the round, the sneck, and the lip. 



The lip-hook, as its name denotes, is prin- 

 cipally used, in spinning-tackle, to close the 

 mouth of the bait, which is effectually accom- 

 plished by the sharp angle. This is a very 

 useful shape in sundry other portions of Jack- 

 tackle for attaching the bait in various ways ; 

 but the point is too rank for hooking a fish ; 

 and as from their position they are more 



