HOOKS. 205 



waxed ; but for sea-fishing, snoods of hemp, flax, or silk are 

 frequently employed, and these are tied or bent on the hooks 

 as described below. 



Within the last few years, however, the use of silkworm 

 gut, either single or twisted, has been extended to sea-fishing, 

 and it is now generally used in Mackerel and other fishing, 

 where the bait is near the surface, when much depends on the 

 tackle being fine. In deep water the snoods may be used 

 stronger with advantage. 



The snoods generally used by fishermen are of two sorts : 

 one sold in small knots of about 10 yards each, which are cut 

 into lengths for use : the other sort is made by doubling one 

 or more strands of fine twine and twisting them together. The 

 first are fastened on by taking two half hitches round the top of 

 the hook, forming the common clove-hitch these are pulled 

 as tight as possible, and then a third half hitch is passed over 

 the lower part of the hook, so that the line points upwards, as 

 shown in fig. 60 A. The knot lies closer and neater if about 

 an inch of the end of the snooding be unravelled and wetted 

 before tying it to the hook. 



The method adopted with the double snood is to pass the 

 snood through the double end, thereby forming a loop ; this is 

 passed over the top of the hook, drawn tight, and a single half 

 hitch made below it ; this is an excellent fastening, being neat 

 and strong (see fig. 60 B, p. 206). The best snoods for Pout, 

 Whiting, and fish up to four or five pounds weight, are made of 

 Shrewsbury thread (No. 25) doubled as above. No. 18 may be 

 used by those who' like tackle a little stronger : this in careful 

 hands is equal to fish of eight or ten pounds weight. To make a 

 1 6-inch snood, take a piece of thread 42 inches long, tie the 

 ends to two of the hooks of the twisting-machine (fig. 23, 

 described at p. 70), hang the lead on to the middle of the 

 thread, and turn the handle a few times round, with or against 

 the sun, as may be necessary, taking care that the twist in the 

 thread be increased and not diminished ; then place a small 

 piece of wood or wire between the two strands close to the lead 

 and gradually raise it as the snood twists, turning the handle 

 gently at the same time. Two or three trials will show the 



