MISCELLANEOUS IMPLEMENTS. 339 



turbing hook or bait, should receive the approval of all an- 

 glers, and render their adoption universal. They insure 

 neatness and dispatch, qualities not to be despised in angling. 



CLEARING-RING. . 



The hook, in angling, often becomes fast or foul in 

 gnags, roots, rocks or grass, and frequently is thereby lost 

 or broken, to the disgust of the angler. By the employ- 

 ment of a clearing-ring the hook can almost invariably be 

 easily detached from these obstructions without damage. 

 These are rings made expressly for the purpose, composed 

 of brass or iron, with a hinge to admit of their being 

 readily adjusted to the line. The method of using them 

 is as follows : 



The ring is opened at the hinge and the line encircled, 

 when the ring is again closed, and allowed to run down 

 the line to the point of obstruction; the weight of the ring 

 detaches the hook, when it is drawn up, a hand-line being 

 attached to the ring for this purpose. If the hook is very 

 firmly fastened to the root or snag, the ring is raised a few 

 feet by its cord and allowed to drop suddenly, when its 

 weight will usually clear the 1 " hook. A very good substi- 

 tute for the clearing-ring, and one easily obtained, is the 

 ordinary bar of lead, used for making bullets. A hole is 

 bored in the flat bar, through which the hand-cord is fast- 

 ened. When used, the bar is bent around the fishing-line, 

 forming a ring, and is very easily attached or detached. 



DISGORGERS. 



Very often a Bass is hooked in the gullet, and some- 

 times in the stomach, though the angler should never 



