HOOKS. 17 
that the hook shank itself—or rather that part of it on which 
the fly is tied—is very nearly straight, whilst in the Limerick 
bend the shank is commonly slightly more curved, or, as it is 
termed, hog-backed, which when exaggerated, as it frequently 
is in the so-called Limerick hooks, supplied by the fly-tyers, 
has the effect of preventing the fly swimming or floating: 
DEFECTIVE HOG-BACKED-SHANKED HOOK, 
perfectly straight,—and, indeed, when the stream is strong, 
an excessive ‘hog-backedness’ will not unfrequently cause it 
actually to spin. 
An exaggerated example of this is shown in the cut. 
The penetrating power in my bend is obtained by the angle 
at which the point and short side of the hook stand in regard 
to the hook shank, towards which, it will be observed, they are 
very slightly inclined, so that when the point pricks the mouth 
of a fish the probabilities of its penetrating are greatly increased, 
Into the general question of fish-hooks, however, their vices 
and yirtues, and the mechanical principles on which they 
should be (but unfortunately seldom are !) constructed, as also 
as to what are the ‘points’ of a perfect hook, I have already 
entered fully in the pages of the ‘Modern Practical Angler’! ; 
and have since had the pleasure of finding the views there set 
forth very generally endorsed by the thinking portion of the 
angling public, and notably, during the last year or two, by 
American writers on the subject. The general argument is 
perhaps somewhat beyond the scope of this essay, and I will 
merely observe here that, ‘flotation ’ apart, the three cardinal 
principles to be borne in mind as governing the ‘killing’ 
(i.e. striking, penetrating, and holding power) of a fish-hook, 
are (1) the length of the shank compared with the width of 
1 The Modern Practical Angler. 5th Edition. Routledge. 
1. Cc 
