Miscellaneous Implements. 295 



disgokgeks and exteactoks. 



Very often a bass is hooked in the gullet, and some- 

 times in the stomach, though the angler should never allow 

 him to gorge the bait to this extent. It is best to strike 

 quickly, so as to hook him in the mouth. In the event of 

 the bass swallowing the hook, it is necessary to cut out or 

 tear out the hook, and often at the cost of scratching or 

 lacerating the angler's fingers; and especially is this apt 

 to be the case when a pickerel or pike-perch is thus hooked, 

 their long and conical teeth being as sharp as needles. 



To avoid this unpleasant feature, a disgorger is very 

 handy and efficacious. It consists of a stout piece of wire, 

 six or eight inches in length, with one end flattened; in 

 this flat end a notch is filed, with cutting or sharp edges, 

 when, by pushing this sharp notch along the hook, the lat- 

 ter is easily detached or ciit out. 



There are a number of ingeniously devised imple- 

 ments for the purpose. One of the best is Foard's 

 patent fish-hook extractor or disgorger. The direc- 

 tions for its employment are to use the end of the 

 instrument corresponding to the size of the hook, 

 draw the line taut, and run the instrument down 

 into the bend of the hook; then clasp the line 

 against the side of the shaft, and push the whole 

 down till the barb is disengaged, and the hook will 

 come out with the instrument. 



Another tool for this purpose has a V-shaped 

 knife at one extremity for dislodging the hook, the 

 other being a screw-driver, while the shank of the 

 instrument is a file. It is a very useful, convenient, and 

 portable combination. The file is useful for touching up 

 the point of the hook, while the screw-driver may be re- 

 quired for taking apart a refractory reel. 



