208 



HOOKS. 



knot very near the end, take some fine sewing silk well waxed, 

 place the end close to the knot, and take a few spiral turns up 

 the gut, then whip downwards with 

 close turns until about a quarter of 

 an inch above the knot, place hook 

 and gut together, and continue the 

 whipping to the end of the gut. To 

 finish off, lay the silk against the 

 shank, leaving a loop which must be 

 passed round the bend three or four 

 times, so that the silk is between 

 these turns and the hook, then pinch 

 the hook between the finger and 

 thumb, and draw the silk tight, when 

 the end may be cut off. Fig. 61 

 shows this better than a long de- 

 scription. 



Gimp is fastened to hooks in the 

 same manner, except that there is 

 no knot made in it. 

 For general purposes those of round bend (pp. 210, 211) 

 are commonly preferred, but for certain special kinds of fishing 

 I make use of the Limerick. From i to 4 both exclusive for 

 Conger and Cod ; i and 2 for hand lines ; 3 and 4 for trots 

 and bulters ; 4 and 5 for ground fishing for Bass ; 6 for Ray 

 fish ; 7 and 8 for Turbot trots ; 9, 10, and n for Mackerel, 

 Whiting, or Pollack ; 12 for small Whiting, large Pout, and 

 Plaice ; 13 and 14 for Dabs, Fluke, or Flounders, and Fresh- 

 water Eels, so often taken with the latter fish ; No. 7 Limerick 

 for Mullet on the French side of the Channel, and also for 

 Smelts (Atherine) ; but on the English coast No. 8 Limerick 

 should be preferred for the Atherine or Sand Smelt, as they 

 are generally much smaller than on the French coasts. 



3/0 Limerick I use for fishing at anchor for Mackerel. The 

 hook of a round bend or Kirby I consider excellent for fly- 

 fishing for Bass, finding them very strong and well pointed ; 

 they have no flattened top, and are therefore well calculated 

 for fly-making. I refer now to the second hook, marked 3/0. 



FIG. 61. 



