Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1900-04-07

Fit on Ordinary Hooks and Pro-
| duce the Desired Color Combina-
tion-ArtifcinI Mice to Catch the
Early Trout-An Automatic Hook.
more OF their wares than usual this
year. and, moreover, goods of better
| quality are being purchased by men
who take their vacations beside streams
| and on lakes. American dealers re.
| port large exports OF rods and reels to
| Europe. but 1t appears that American
| hshhooks cannot compete with those
| Of English manufacture except Ia the
| finest quality. In the best grades
American bronzed books excel Arti-
fetal fiies made In England are said to
| be a tr1fe better than ours Az To the
lines 1t is questioa As to which is
best. The American manufacturers
have a greater assortment and in
their methods OF dressing and water
proofng believe themselves superior.
! The fact that American houses are ex-
porting more and more of every vari-
ETY. of tackle except hooks 10 England
| every year SptdhS wen lpt AdAhCt
progress in this line.
To advance the quality of material
has been the steady aim of dealers of
late years. Every season shows that
tackle lasts longer under hard usage
than in the old days. Every year. too,
there is something new 10 surprise the
fisherman who thought his outfit com
plete the year before. Last year it
was NEEDLESS bass flies-fies that
would not hook on weeds-for big bass
fishing in the west. The year before it
was even tension leaders, tied with
silk at the joints and cemented and
tested to stand pounds of weight.
There have been "futtering flies" and
compensating reels with piyots to turn
when the spool gets loose. The way
rods have been improved is also won
| derful. One rod ~ feet long weighs
three ounces. Another of six ounces is
91a feet long. "a strips of wood going
into each rod. eight in a joint though
the tip Is no longer than knitting
needle.
This year there was n surprise equal
to that created when steel rods first
appeared. 1t was thought that the linn
1t had been reached in flies when the
wings were put on with cement and n
line of silk, with reversed wings which
could not be pulled out. But now
there is fly book in which are sepa-
rate legs. wings and bodies, says the
New York Sun. They are adjustable
to ordinary bait hooks from Nos. ! to
L, according to the fish wanted. Each
part is tied to a bit of aluminium tube.
The bait hook is separate. The fisher
man observes that the trout are rising
to little fly of which he has no speci-
men. The real fly has gray wings.
brown legs and a white body. lie
takes out the combination hook and
! puts n white body on a hook; then he
adds the legs and wings of the right
color, and then he fishes.
DR.. II. b. Cantrell of Brooklyn first
thought of this scheme. Like many
other fishermen, he often had to throw
away excellent favorite flies because
the gut was worn out or the hook bro
ken. SO he tied a fly on piece of
copper tube the size of a needle and
slipped the tube over an ordinary No. 3
| bait hook snood. The tube was Hanged
at each end so the fly could not slip off.
! A good fly will outlast several hooks.
! The combination fly book. with enough
wings and bodies and tackles to make
more than 1000 kinds of flies, even
| though the fly is heavy and hard to
! handle nicely. cannot but appeal to
| fishermen. How it will work in fish
ing is a question.
The number of lures for trout and
bass increases every year, but artificial
| bats. except flies, are not well liked
| by many save the lazy fishermen. Rub
! Der frogs, minnows and hellgamites
are the most popular artificial bats.
! new one is offered to trout fisher
men this year This is Il mouse COW
! cred with real fur, having bead eyes
and a wggly tail. All trout fishermen
know that big trout like mice and that
trout which won't take flies may be
captured with n mouse on a hook sunk
into the deep pool The new bait is
being sold in every trout locality for
early fishing, when mice are best and
flies of little avail.
For live bait many styles of hooks
have been devised, some of them to
amuse the greenhorns and others that
appeal TO the men who know how to
bait ordinary hooks to best advantage.
Some arrangements that would make
good mink traps have been put on the
market, an automatic fishhook for in
stance, which is set off when the bait
is nibbled. If the fish happens TO be
! poised right, gaffs will strike it stimuli
taneously on each side and hold 1t fast.
| a new device for keeping frogs and
minnows upright in the water will at
tract more favorable notice from live
bait casters, though it is as trouble
some to attach as a figure four snare.
1t has a big hook with fine wire
| guard 10 keep off weeds, little hook
curiously bent TO hold the bait, little
rubber band TO fasten the bait and a
sinker arrangement which makes the
| f,oe, ~. r,,frY,vt-g dive ripbt ci1a ~, a nd