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Information on Salmon Flies. Includes typing information for the SINGLE SLIP-KNOT ATTACHMENT, DOUBLE SLIP-KNOT ATTACHMENT, TURN-DOWN EYED SALMON FLY ATTACHED BY SLIP KNOT, SINGLE SLIP KNOT FOR TURNED-UP EYE (UNFINISHED), SINGLE SLIP KNOT ATTACHMENT TO GUT LOOP, and GUT-LOOPED FLY ATTACHED BY DOUBLE SLIP KNOT.
Salmon Flies To begin with Salmon Flies. Although in the case of the salmon fly when dressed, that is, in the more ordinary way with a gut loop the paramount and self-evident advantages for the eyed-hook principle that may be claimed in the case of the trout fly do not present themselves, yet there are several points, and those not unimportant ones, in which the metal-eyed salmon hook offers a distinct advance over * lapped-on ' hooks. Take, for instance, probably the most obvious point, the question of durability. The life of the old-fashioned salmon fly, whether tied on a strand of gut or on a gut loop, is measured by that of the waxed lapping that binds the gut or gut loop to the hook shank the period, in other words, during which the wax retains its adhesiveness ; and this, it is well known, it does not do for more than a limited and, moreover, an uncertainly limited time. The hook and the rest of the fly, on the contrary, when preserved from moth and rust, are for practical purposes indestructible, and if either should happen to give out the fact is easily discovered, and does not in its discovery entail losing the best fish, perhaps, of the season. The pleasure of possessing and keeping up a good stock of salmon flies is sadly alloyed by the reflection that after a few years prudence would counsel their being consigned to the nearest dust-hole. Again, as regards the comparative neatness of the two systems, the verdict would probably be in favour of the metal eye, although the difference is but trifling. There are no advantages of any kind that I am aware of as a set-off to the foregoing advantages, and therefore, weighing impartially the two systems gut loops v. metal loops it would seem that the balance inclines in favour of the latter. As observed, however, the fact that loops of some sort are in practice already very general in salmon flies, makes the question of less immediately critical importance to the salmon-fisher than to the trout-fisher, in whose case the change from lapped-on flies to flies attached by an eyed hook is nothing less than a revolution. . . . But to finish first with the subject of salmon hooks. In the original design of the turn-down eyed salmon hook, it was alleged no doubt with some show of reason that, from imperfections almost necessarily incident to manufacture on a large scale, the pointed ends of the taper forming the loop were occasionally left so sharp, or incompletely ' closed,' as to fray the gut of the attaching knot at this point ; and in my newest patterns it will be seen this is effectually provided against by the tapered end of the wire, forming the eye or loop, being returned up the shank for some not inconsiderable distance. This gives a perfectly smooth and even surface of metal eye for the gut to work against, and its shape offers at the same time special conveniences to the fly-dresser. The point of importance to be recollected in dressing flies on these hooks, whether for salmon or trout, is that the ' neck,' between the head of the fly and the loop, should be left clear to receive the gut (vide preceding diagram, p. 7, lefthand fig.). If this is not attended to the knot will have a clumsy appearance, and the fly hang more or less crooked instead of in a perfect plane with the gut. The deviation from an absolute alignment between the shank of the hook and the plane of the gut, was a blemish in my original pattern of turn-down eye figured bottom of preceding page and the same imperfection was inherent in an even greater degree in the older models of hooks with eyes turned up instead of down. The line, as I say, did not, and could not, occupy a plane absolutely level with that of the hook-shank. In the turn-down eyed hook the inaccuracy was of course reversed. The deflection was considerably less than that above illustrated ; still it was a decided defect one of its results being (in the case of my own hooks) to unduly narrow the ' gape ' of the hook, and, in the turn up eyed hooks, to unduly widen it. That this must inevitably be the case, a glance at the last diagram will show. To overcome the difficulty, I tried many experiments indeed, I began experimenting on my own hooks almost as soon as the pages containing their original patterns were published 1885, I think. It was really, however, a new principle, rather than a new pattern, that was wanted ; and I only discovered what I was in search of after a wearisome succession of 'modified successes,' and an accumulation of abortive 'notions,' taking form in all unimaginable shapes of twisted and contorted steel. However, at last I did discover it, and having committed the folly of 'publishing' my old turndown eyed hook before getting it protected, I took the new one straight away to the Patent Office, and subsequently put the model into the hands of Messrs. Wm. Bartleet & Sons, of Abbey Mills, Redditch, who soon turned out a sufficient quantity to try practical conclusions with, the results of practice fully bearing out the deductions of theory. The principle embodied in the new hooks is, in effect, the bending of the shank-end first up and then down, the result of which is to bring the line exactly into a plane with the hook-shank, whilst at the same time retaining all the advantages, in neatness and facility of attachment, &c., of the original turndown eye, together ivith the full natural gape of the hook bend and no more. The new patent I have only hitherto had applied to my own special bends of hooks the ' Pennell-Limerick ' and 'Pennell-Sneck' bends ; but it is, of course, equally applicable to all the other hook-bends of commerce. Some or all of these will, I hope, be manufactured by Messrs. Bartleet and supplied to the trade. To prevent fraud and to ensure the bond, fides of the hooks sold as mine many spurious and defective imitations of my earlier hook having, I am sorry to say, been made by unauthorised firms I have also obtained a * trade-mark,' and arranged that every packet of the hooks shall bear such trade-mark with my signature, and so affixed to each packet that it cannot be opened without the label being torn or destroyed. Of the foregoing hooks all the larger sizes, intended primarily for salmon and grilse flies, from No. 8 upwards, ' New ' scale (No. 7 upwards, ' Old ' scale), are made with the wire of the loop or eye ' re turned ' up the shank, as already explained. Sizes 8 to 10 'new' scale (7 to 5 'old' scale), inclusive, are made both with and without the re-turned eyes, so as to suit either light or heavy fishing ; and from No. 8 ' new' scale (No. 7 ' old ' scale), inclusive, and upwards, the hooks are made double as well as single. Eventually, no doubt, all the smaller sizes will be manufactured both single and double, as the increase in the use of small double hooks for many descriptions of flies, including ordinary trout flies, where no one would formerly have thought of using them, is another comparatively recent advance in the science of fish-hooks. I have no doubt whatever that, especially for the smaller sizes of salmon hooks, the double pattern has considerable advantages, and I hear that on some rivers, the Tweed, for example, they are completely driving the single hooks off the water. It is obvious, indeed, that they greatly increase the chance both of hooking and of holding a fish ; and against the small additional weight, which may be a slight inconvenience, perhaps, in casting, is to be set the fact that the extra weight has the effect of making the fly swim somewhat deeper, which in salmon-fishing is a generally desirable result. The only correct mode of attaching salmon and grilse hooks with re-turned eyes, as well as the double hooks in both of which the eye is made extra large for the purpose is by the 'in-and-out' fastening, secured with a slip knot, double or single, here referred to as the ' slip-knot ' attachment. SINGLE SLIP-KNOT ATTACHMENT Although a 'single slip ' knot is all that will usually be found actually necessary, especially with the smaller-sized grilse hooks, yet even in this case and still more in that of the larger-sized salmon hooks a ' double,' instead of a ' single,' slip knot makes ' assurance doubly sure.' Indeed, I myself almost invariably use the double slip knot, and recommend its adoption for all hooks of a size too large, or with eyes too large for the ' Half -hitch Jam Knot' (hereinafter described) and for all hooks with * re-turned* eyes. The ' double slip' (figured in the last cut) makes, when artistically tied on a large hook, a fastening quite as neat as, if not, indeed, actually neater than, the single slip ; and is in many ways preferable. DOUBLE SLIP-KNOT ATTACHMENT A, double slip-knot (unfinished) ; B, turn-down eye ; c, mainline. The following verbal instructions may perhaps assist the tyro, in attaching his casting line to a turn-down eyed salmon hook for the first time. Take the hook by the bend between the finger and thumb of the left hand, with the eye turned downwards (in the position shown in the diagrams ; then the gut being first thoroughly well soaked push the end, with a couple of inches, down through the eye, B, towards the point of the hook ; then pass it round over the shank of the hook, and again, from the opposite side, downwards through the eye in a direction away from the hook-point. [The gut end and the central link will now be lying parallel.] Make the double(or single) slip knot, A, round the central link, C, and pull the said knot itself perfectly tight ; then draw the loop back until TURN-DOWN EYED SALMON FLY ATTACHED BY SLIP KNOT The knot, A, presses tightly into and against the metal eye of the hook, B, where hold it firmly with the fore-finger and thumb-nail of the left hand, whilst with the right hand and ' humouring ' the gut in the process, so as to clear the hackles, c. the central link is drawn tight, thus taking in the ' slack ' of the knot. When finished, cut the superfluous gut end off nearly close. 1 If turned eyes should be used, the mode of attachment by a single slip knot is shown, unfinished, in the diagram. It is the same knot as that described for the turn-down eyed salmon hook, merely passing the loop under instead of over the shank. SINGLE SLIP KNOT FOR TURNED-UP EYE (UNFINISHED) A, Eye ; B, hook-bend ; c, end of gut line ; D, main line ; E, single slip knot. To tie a double slip knot : first make a single slip knot, a, and, before drawing close, pass the gut end, $, a second time round the central link, c, and then again through the c loop, a when the knot will be like 'A' in the diagram of double slip knot. To complete it, pull the end of the gut, gradually, and very tightly straight away : in a line, that is, with the central link, c. The slip knot is .also the best for attaching the casting line to flies with gut loops, and should be tied in the same manner as that described for a turn-down eyed hook. SINGLE SLIP KNOT ATTACHMENT TO GUT LOOP The same knot, for both gut or metal loops, may also be produced in another manner when the loop is large enough viz., by tying at the end of the casting line (separate from the hook) a 'noose,' with a slip knot (drawn tight), and afterwards passing from above, through the loop or eye, the ' apex ' of the noose thus formed. The noose is then opened out and passed upwards over the whole fly, ' lasso-wise ' ; the knot is drawn to its place in the loop as already described, and the ' slack ' taken in. There is a mode of attaching casting lines to gut-looped salmon flies very commonly employed on account of its facility of manipulation, and the saving of trouble and time in changing flies. In consists in tying a knot at the end of the gut, and then passing the knotted end first through the loop from below, and, after giving it one turn round under the loop, finally passing the knotted end under the 'central link, and drawing the latter tight. It is in fact a ' jam knot ' plus the knot at the end of the line. Very fairly well as this knot answers for hooks of the smaller sizes with eyes turned down, as hereafter described, it does not and never can make a thoroughly ' ship-shape ' knot for a salmon fly, inasmuch as the latter when thus attached invariably hangs and therefore, of course swims out of the horizontal : in other words, head downwards. If, on the contrary, the gut is passed through the loop from above and the turn taken over the loop, an opposite But equally inelegant effect is produced ; the fly ' cocks up,' and might swim in almost any position conceivable, except the horizontal. There are several variations of this fastening ; but I cannot say that I ever met with one entirely satisfactory. GUT-LOOPED FLY ATTACHED BY DOUBLE SLIP KNOT. (Facsimile of Knot.) The ' figure-of-eight ' knot has many admirers, but I have never used it myself, and in fact must confess with shame facedness that I do not know how to tie it.
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