Line Fishing on the Continental Slope the Selective Effect of Different Hook Patterns

In 1971 and 1972 during the course of short cruises to the South Biscay area on R.V. ‘Sarsia’ several hauls were made with a 100 hook long-line on the Continental Slope at depths ranging from 800 to 3600 m. The hooks used were of two different patterns (Fig. 1) arranged alternately. The hooks were mounted on wire snoods of about 1 m length which were attached to the line at 10 m intervals by stainless-steel snap-on connectors. The object of this arrangement was to find out if the incurving hook pattern based on a traditional South Pacific type of wooden hook showed any advantage over a normal type of hook.