THE DISGORGER. 29 



diately and expeditiously, without the slightest injury 

 either to fish or fly ; and what is of equal importance, 

 without so taxing the patience as materially to increase 

 expenses at the confessional for absolution for certain 

 nameless forms of speech uttered during the tedious 

 process. Its use is still more decidedly apparent in 

 worm-fishing, when the fish generally gorge the bait, 

 and the only plan of regaining the hook adopted by 

 those who have never seen this ingenious little instru- 

 ment is to rip open the belly of the fish with a knife, or 

 as I have seen a ready-made sloven do, with his fingers ; 

 a practice which I need not say very materially damages 

 their appearance, and renders them little better than as 

 many mashed and half-cured herrings. But the dis- 

 gorger avoids all this, and is equally efficacious in the 

 belly of the fish as in his mouth. 



It is thus made : Take a piece of brass or iron wire 

 of sufficient thickness, and about 5 inches long, and 

 beat out both ends till flat, then file a fork in one end, 

 and round off the other, in which drill a hole for the* 

 purpose of attaching it to the coat button with a cord 

 as shown in Fig. 5. 



It may be also made of cane, bone, or any hard wood 

 an old German silver tea-spoon shank makes an ex- 

 cellent one. 



The " Fly-Ketriever " is a very useful little implement, 

 , recently invented by a correspondent of the Field with 

 whose name I am unacquainted ; but I trust he will 

 excuse me for giving my readers the benefit of his in- 

 genuity. It is made of a thin rod of steel of the shape 



