The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-02-08

much used by fish breeders in order to
avoid injuring the fish when taken
from the water to be stripped of
spawn and milt for the hatchery.
When Seth Green was in charge of
the New York States Fish Hatchery at
Caledonia, he made the assertion that
more fish could be caught and saved
by barbless hooks than any other He
gave me few to try and taught me
how to make them, which was by
using the best steel needles. First we
annealed them and then bent them
around form which was like a Carl
isle, only the point was trifle higher.
Il made over one hundred, which
were distributed among my angling
friends as an experiment. The results
were the same. On small trout, which
could be quickly landed, it worked adj
mirably, but for bass, pike and pickle
rel it was a failure as the reports
showed loss of per cent. of fish
hooked
III. Cholmondelev-Penne of London
was formerly Inspector of Sea Fish
cries of England. The eyed trout hook
was perfected by him in 1885, and,
strange to say, it is almost a new
hook to the angling fraternity in the
United States.
1t is used extensively in England,
especially for flies, as they are much
easier to carry and with little practice
are quickly changed from one kind to
another on the leader. 1 consider the
draught better than any other kind
The Limerick style combines the three
great requisites of penetration, holding
power and tiotation, or the general
contour of the shank.
Double hooks originated centuries
ago. They are said to have been
used before the single hook Many
millions of double hooks are now util-
lied in this country for the manufac-
ture of spoon bats, gangs and inven-
tons to represent fish.
More than a century has passed
since any attempt has been made to
| improve the eye. One manufacturer
has lately been granted patent on
| double INTERCHANGEABLE hooks. The
| shank is arranged like a safety pin
| It's advantages are: 1t can be attach
| ed and detached in second it can be
| made in single or treble hook as WELL
THE sproat hook is undoubtedly one
of the best known and most .univer-
| sally used hooks throughout the Unit
ed States. 1t has been termed by
some the hogback, as it has that ap-
pearance when laid on it's point.
ut has gained a worldwide reputa-
ton on account of it's admirable form,
| having a beautiful curve, and it's PEN
etrating power is very near correct
| because the pull is nearly in the di-
rection of the point. 1t also has the
advantage of being less liable to
break than any other on account of
| it's general construction, together with
the size of the wire used.
1.-The wire used in hook making is
the best English cast steel, which must
| be first qaulity-otherwis it will not
| temper properly-the gauge or size
varying according to the requirements
| of the hook to be made.
"First-The operator takes a part of
| a coil of wire in his hand and places
| the ends in gauge, and the correct
lenght being arrived at, he quickly and
sharply cuts them into lengths with
| a large pair of shears.
"Second-Bearding. A number of
wires thus prepared are arranged on
| a plain surface, with their right-hand
ends against an upright. The barb, or
beard, is then cut by means of a hol-
low ground knife which, being press
ed forward and deftly turned by the
hand of the workman, opens the barb
to the required angle, great care
having to be exercised in this opera
ton to avoid cutting too deep or
opening too wide, or the barb breaks
when used.
carefully filed. Using a pair of tongs
made specially to hold the wire and
rapidly turning the same a point is filed
on instantly, forming either what
is termed a hollow, Kirby or Dublin
point. All best hooks are filed this
way by hand, thus giving to the point
three or four knifelike cutting edges,
enabling it to penetrate much more
quickly than the less expensive needle
pointed hook.
"Fourth--Bending. 1t Is now neces-
sary to give the hook it's form, and
for this purpose the workman holds
a mould fashioned like the pothook of
our copybooks, mounted on a wooden
handle. With one deft movement the
beard is hooked around the shorter
end, a quick turn brings the shank
straight with the shank of the mould.
"Fifth-By the aid of an ingenious
machine, or hammer, the end of the
shank is either ringed, flatted or mark
ed. If intended for salmon or trout
flies 1t is filed to delicate point, or
knobbed.
'Sixth-Process six is most impor-
tant. and is~that of the hardening of
the hitherto soft steel hook. This is
carried on in specially constructed
building, and consists in placing the
hooks in a whitehead furnace, watch
ed by an experienced workman, who
withdraws them on seeing them attain
a certain appearance, and plunges them
into a vat of oil. This converts the
temper of the hitherto soft hook into
a highly brittle condition. Mere de-
scription cannot do justice to this stage
of hook manufacture.
'Seventh-Tempering The hooks are
then taken from the oil, mixed with
heated sand. and placed in an iron
pan over a fire, sand and hooks being
kept in constant motion. Ever and
anon, a hook is picked out and test
ed, and as soon as one lot is deemed
sufficiently tempered it is passed to one
side and another takes its place.
"Of course, the experience of the
operator dictates the finish of each par
Gel. and the man is always selected
from those of the highest capabilities.
The heat required for each size and
style of hook varies, and there is all
the difference between a hook too hard
or too soft.
TN the former case. Immediately Il
is struck against the hard jaw OF a fish
It breaks. either going at the bend or
at the point. Nothing is more irritat-
ing TO the fisherman than to find the
fish pricked and gone, and the point
also minus and this not discovered pos