70 The Amencan Salmon-fisherman. 



fishing-tackle store the statement would not be far wide 

 of the truth. It is but another example of how difficult 

 it is to induce a mechanic properly to make any article 



the use of which he does 

 not understand. A paper 

 tracing giving the size and 

 curve is quite insufficient to 

 guarantee the result, as the 

 experience already given 

 proves. Some little par- 

 ticularity in describing this 

 indispensable part of our 

 outfit will therefore not be 

 amiss. 



I The point should be keen 

 and conical, running in the 

 length of one inch, by a 

 taper bounded by straight 

 lines, from nothing to 

 about three sixteenths of 

 an inch diameter. ITrjm 

 thence the thickness should 

 gradually increase to where 

 the hook merges into the 

 shank, where it should at- 

 tain a thickness of three 

 eighths of an inch. The 



Fig. 6.— The Veteran Gaff. i, i i, i j i, 



* - shank should be ten or 



more inches long, the upper six or eight inches of 

 which should be flattened out to a width of about half 

 an inch, and should terminate in a spur, like a short 

 thick naU, since it is to serve the same purpose. This 



