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In testing the penetration factor of small hooks as against larger, I found that a No. 16 hook took 73 grams to pull beyond the barb while a larger No. 10 hook took 122 grams. This means that the smaller hook slipped in beyond the barb at least one third more easily. However, when the small honk was dulled it took 121 grams to enter beyond the barb, just one gram less than the larger hook. (This, of course, points up a second important factor: keep your hook needle sharp at all times. See Figure 19.) From these tests, it is quite obvious that a small sharp hook will penetrate beyond the barb with less effort and will put a fish on the end of your line, while a larger hook might not get through the tough ligament at all. As every careful angler knows, at least half of the fish landed will be hooked by a mere filament of skin. (Since I have been using smaller, sharper hooks and lighter rods and lines, my proportion of lightly hooked fish landed as against well-hooked fish is just about two out of three.) Now, if a large hook had been used, or if the fish had been snubbed up with a heavy rod or held in check with too heavy a line, the hook would have pulled through most of these lightly hooked fish, and the loss would have been explained: Well, I only got a few bumps today. No real hits. Or: Funny thing, all the fish seemed to be striking short.
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