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As the play of the sheepshead yields a new sensation to 
the amateur who for the first time indulges the penchant of 
angling for this dinner luxury, and as the modus operandi of 
its capture is somewhat peculiar, the opposite sketch is giv- 
en to indicate the forms and sizes of the hooks and sinkers 
used by anglers with rod and reel, and by members of the 
hand-line committee. 
No.1. Hook of the Sproat bend, small but strong, of finest 
tempered steel, and the short point and barb sharpened like 
a fine knife-blade, not round and needle-pointed like those — 
for striped bass and squeteague. There is a fine gimp-wire 
loop wound to the shank with fine waxed sewing silk or 
fine linen thread. I recommend waxed linen thread when 
snells are wound to hooks for any of the respectable sized 
game fishes of our estuaries; for fresh water, silk is pref 
erable. 
No. 2. Shank-headed hook, with the line fastened below the 
head by two or three half hitches, the same as for use in 
fishing for large striped bass. In fastening the line to the 
hook, cast the two half hitches around below the head, then 
turn up the end of the line and cast another half hitch over 
the shank and the end of line, filling the space to the head. 
Then draw the hitch tight, cut off the end of line even with 
the head of hook, and turn the hook in the tie until it turns 
sasily, and you have the best possible hook-rigging. The 
hook should be made of finest tempered steel, and the point 
very sharp, or it will be either turned or broken in the mo- 
snic pavement of the mouth before it slides to the rim of 
the jaw, and by the turn of the fish fastens the hook in the 
lip or corner of the mouth. 
No. 3. This is the size of hook for hand-line fishing, at which 
a large business is done during July and August, and some- 
times throughout September. There is a greater number 
caught by the hand-line than by sweep-nets or seines, the 
only other methods of taking them for market, The Vir- 
ginia bend, like 3, with knife-blade edges of barb and point, 
