Snap hook with tether release

A snap hook with tether release, comprising:

• a hook body including a base end, an elongated shank connected to and extending from the base end, a bight connected to and extending from said shank, and a tine connected to and extending from the bight and including a tine end, said tine, said bight and said shank together defining a hook opening, and said tine end and said base end together defining between them a hook throat, through which an eye may pass into and out from the hook opening;
• a snap finger pivotally connected to said base end, and movable away from and towards the tine end, for opening and closing the hook throat;
• a spring biasing said snap finger against the tine end, into a hook throat closing position, said snap finger being movable away from said tine end, against the spring, into a hook throat opening position;
• wherein in use the hook is connected to a hook line at the base end, the hook bight engages an eye, a portion of which eye is located within the hook opening, and the snap finger is in its throat closing position, to prevent accidental disengagement of the hook from the eye;
• a tether guide, said guide located by an angle of between thirty degrees and forty degrees formed between a line passing along an inner surface of said tine and a line passing through said tether guide and said tine end;
• a release tether connected to said snap finger by first passing through an outwardly facing portion of said snap finger and fixed to said snap finger from an opposite side, and extending from the snap finger to and through said tether guide, and then away from said hook body;
• and
• wherein in use, with the hook body connected to a hook line at its base end, and engaging an eye at its bight, an initial pull on the tether, concurrent with a release of tension from the hook line, will cause the hook body to rotate into a position placing the tine against the eye, and a continuing pull on the tether will first pull the snap hook into its throat opening position and will then pull the hook body out of engagement with said eye.