240 Book of the Black Bass. 



As the hooks that are most in vogue in the United States, 

 as the Sproat, O'Shaughnessy, Carlisle, Aberdeen, Dublin 

 bend, and hollow-point lomeriek, are all numbered accord- 

 ing to the Eedditch system, and agree very closely in all 

 the sizes, it would be in the nature of a calamity to change 

 it for the Kendal or any other system. 



Snelling Hooks. 



It has been recommended, in tying gut snells to hooks, 

 to heat the shank of the hook and coat it with rubber or 

 other cement, or was, and to soften the gut by soaking, or 

 to crimp it by biting with the teeth or pinching it with 

 pliers; but let me caution the tyro, and advise him to do 

 nothing of the kind. It destroys the temper of a hook to 

 heat it, and burns oii the protective coating; it breaks the 

 fiber of the gut to bite or crimp it; and when the gut is 

 expanded by soaking and tied on, it shrinks upon drying, 

 and leaves the wrapping loose. 



The best way to tie a gut snell to a hook is to use noth- 

 ing but well-waxed silk thread, and to wrap evenly and 

 tightly. If properly done it will never pull off. Eubber 

 cement loses its life after a time, becoming brittle, and 

 rots the silk wrapping; and so will all cements, sooner or 

 later, from constant wetting and drying. At the best, if 

 they do no good they may do harm, and it is folly to use 

 them when they can better be dispensed with. 



In tying a hook to gut, use the best sewing silk — the 

 finest for very small hooks and coarser for larger ones ; use 

 red shades as they seem to be stronger, and the color is 

 suitable. The silk must be well-waxed, and there is noth- 

 ing better for the purpose than the best light-colored shoe- 

 maker's wax, which can be folded in a piece of soft leather 

 to prevent soiling one's fingers. 



