2C4 HOOKS. 



securing it, as shown in fig 59, which appears sufficiently to 

 explain itself. 



If the anchor is kept continually bent, the end is usually 

 attached to the cable by a seizing. 



HOOKS. 



No part of the fisherman's outfit is of more importance, 

 and no part has so little attention paid to it, as the Hook. 

 I am not going into a minute description of the method of 

 making them ; I will merely state that the best are made of 

 cast steel drawn into wire, which is cut into lengths, the barbs 

 raised with a lever knife, and the points filed to shape ; they 

 are then bent into proper form round a mould, the top of the 

 shank flattened if for sea-fishing, or filed taper for fly-fishing, 

 hardened, tempered, and finished by tinning, black varnishing, 

 or blueing. Good hooks are somewhat difficult to obtain ; the 

 makers will readily supply them, but dealers want a cheap 

 article, and consequently every device is resorted to to save a 

 penny or twopence in the hundred. Many hooks are only 

 made of iron case-hardened, which are useless with heavy fish. 

 There are hooks now sold which to appearance are excellent, 

 of Limerick shape and good finish, but the metal is worthless, 

 and they break with a very small strain. 



While on the subject, I may mention that hooks for special 

 purposes are sometimes left soft. 



The fishermen at Dover, Folkestone, &c., lay long trots for 

 Silver- Whiting : the ground is very foul, and the hooks used 

 by them are made of soft iron wire tinned ; if they catch the 

 rocky ground, or are taken by rough fish such as Rays, they 

 bend, but are afterwards easily put in shape again ; at the same 

 time they are quite strong enough to catch the Whiting, which 

 seldom run there over a pound or pound and a half. These 

 hooks are of French manufacture. 



Whipping and Bending on Hooks, There are several 

 methods of fastening hooks on to the lengths of the different 

 materials used for snoods. For freshwater fishing, the usual 

 plan is to whip hook and gut together with fine silk well 



