Set toa =F * 7 DR oT po 955 F998) , ibd a} 44 4 . 9 Cee ee oe i 2 {4 a gem Ria eae) i" a <9 JE ae 7 eee hehe Copyright NO COPYRIGHT DEPOSI BOOK of the BLACK BASS By James A. HEnswa.y, M. D., AUTHOR OF ‘* CAMPING AND sneak IN FLORIDA,” ‘‘ YE GODS AND LITTLE FISHES,’ ‘‘ BASS, PIKE, PERCH AND OTHERS,” ETC.. FULLY ILLUSTRATED NEW EDITION REVISED AND EXTENDED CINCINNATI THE ROBERT CLARKE COMPANY 1904 ere rr owe i RR -CopyriGcHrt, 1881, oa, : By J. A. HENSHALL ‘ a m . ; rf e.-* tj ’ & =o = - 4 vy zit ge at Di Rae ot Ea Saas a eco een = ee Zt tmnantt wie Fence al Stra eon Tapeh S : - - 7 <= re rs a gro - . .. =i = BP 7 x. = a. _ | a et ee = i ee a oe ere es ie i % COPYRIGHT, 1904, . By THE ROBERT CLARKE COMPANY ue ee ry oe PREFACE. This edition of the Book or rue Brack Bass includes also the Supplement, Morr Azsovur tue Brack Bass, and is complete in one volume. A new edition of these books has been necessitated owing to the destruction by fire of the ‘stereotype plates of the former editions. Advantage was taken of this circumstance for a thor- ough revision, whereby much of the text of the old editions has been eliminated, new matter substituted, and other features added more in accordance with the present knowledge of the subject. The first edition of this book owed its origin to a long-cherished desire on the part of the author to give to the black bass species their proper place among game- fishes, and to create among anglers, and the public generally, an interest in two fishes that had never been so fully appreciated as their merits deserved, because of the want of suitable tackle for their capture, on the one hand, and a lack of information regarding their habits and economic value on the other. At the present day, however, the author’s prediction that they would eventually become the favorite game-fish of America has been fully verified. The “ Book of the Black Bass” is of an entirely prac- tical nature regarding its subject-matter and its illus- trations. It has Beat written more with a view to instruct than to amuse or entertain. The reader will, therefore, look in vain between its covers for those [iii] lV PREFACE. rhetorical flights, poetic descriptions, entertaining ac- counts and pleasing illustrations of the pleasures and vicissitudes of angling, which are usually found in works of like character. In addition to the scientific and life history of both species of black bass, it gives a practical treatise on angling and fly-fishing, and a full description of all tools and tackle employed for their capture. T am under obligation to the Century Company for the illustrations of ‘‘ Landing a Double” and the “ Still Fisher.” I was desirous to use the former inasmuch as it was originally drawn to illustrate one of my articles on black bass fishing, and my friend, the late Prof. Alfred M. Mayer posed for the drawing. I also extend my thanks to G. F. Corner for the sketch of the “ Old Kentucky Angler.” It is as well to say that the last addition to the subject that I intended to make was the supplement “ More About the Black Bass ;” the credit is due, therefore, to The Robert Clarke Company for this new edition of my book, which has risen, phcenix-like, from the ashes of the former one. Bozeman, Montana, April, 1904. JAMES ‘A. HENSHALL. XVIII. XIX. XX. XXII. XXII. XXII. XIV. XXY. XXVI. CONTENTS. PART FIRST. SCIENTIFIC AND LIFE HISTORY. PAGE ScIENTIFIC HisToRY OF THE BLACK BASS........... 3 NOMENCLATURE AND MORPHOLOGY....... Site: trove 26 GENERAL AND SPECIAL FEATURES OF THE BLACK Bass, 45 COoLORATION Ge SHt Brace BASS oss wae cs nae ke 53 GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE BLACK Bass.. 64 HAsits OF THE BLACK Bass. Spawning, Hatching, etc. 74 INTELLIGENCE AND SPECIAL SENSES. Sight, Hearing. 92 STOCKING WATERS WITH BLACK BASS........c000e- Lil PART SECOND. TOOLS, TACKLE AND IMPLEMENTS. FisHine Rops. Fly-rods, Bait-rods, etc...........- 127 FisHinG REEts. Click Reels, Multiplying Reels, etc. 174 FisHine Lines. Fly Lines, Bait Lines, etc......... 205 Sink-Worm Gut. Leaders, Snells, ete...... gee so ce 216 Fish Hooks. Sproat, O'Shaughnessy, Limerick, etc. 230 ARTIFICIAL Fires. Winged Flies, Hackles, etc..... 243 ARTIFICIAL Barts. Trolling-Spoons, Casting-Spoons, 258 Natura Barts. Minnows, Frogs, Crawfish, etc.... 268 MISCELLANEOUS IMPLEMENTS. Fly-Books, Creels, etc. 276 PART THIRD. ANGLING AND FLY FISHING. Patt -PemOsOPHY? Ob mee eS. ee ane aie o:s.0'n 307 CONDITIONS GOVERNING THE BITING OF F'ISH....... 316 THE BEAGk BASS As AG AME, FISH 2205 02. ccicee eee 338 Fry Fisuine. Tackle, Casting, Instructions, ete ... 307 Barr Fisurne. Tackle, Casting, Instructions, etc... 385 Stitt Fisuine. Tackle, Baits, Instructions, etc.... 411 TROLLING. Tackle, General Instructions, etc. ...... 420 SKITTERING AND Bopsrnc. Tackle, Instructions, etc. 428 CoNCLUDING REMARKS. Care of Tackle, Advice, etc, 435 [v] PART I. _—_—_—_——_——. SCIENTIFIC AND LIFE HISTORY. a he rare, yies: ry " aia ap 5 aad hits as Ye R Py ne ape 4 pe i r “ t bf wae 4 , i 1 : a a o - 5 14 + $ ‘toe a Pei Serums Sarat eds vie me GY Pe 4 - . \ VE wis aos Ry Ps Jat? ee a ee pod gitar »4 ‘ : - : he ; hy = ’ ri yt bee BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. CHAPTER I. SCIENTIFIC HISTORY OF THE BLACK BASS.* ( MICROPTERUS. ) “For my name and memory, I leave it to men’s charitable speeches, to foreign nations, and to the next ages.”— Bacon. THE scientific history of the black bass is a most unsatis- factory one. This is owing to a train of accidental cir- cumstances, and to the neglect of thorough investigation of its earliest history, as recorded by Lacépede, the re- nowned French naturalist, in the original edition of his great work, “ Histoire Naturelle des Poissons.” This representative American fish was first brought to the light of science in a foreign land, and under the most unfavorable auspices. Its scientific birth was, like Mac- duff’s, untimely; it was, unhappily, born a monstrosity ; *In the first edition of this book an exhaustive review of the nomenclature and morphology of the black bass species was given, introducing a number of lengthy papers and references bearing on the subject. In the present edition the author deems it unneces- sary to reproduce much of the evidence then used to prove and corroborate his arguments, inasmuch as his views have been fully concurred in, and his restoration of Lacépéde’s names for the two species has been indorsed and adopted. It is, therefore, deemed sufficient to present in a concise form, and in chronological order, the perplexing account of the nomenclature of the species from their first description by Lacépéde to the final restoration of his generic and specific names. [3] 4 BooK OF THE BLACK BASss. its baptismal names were, consequently, incongruous, and its sponsors were, most unfortunately, foreign naturalists. Previous to the first edition of this book, in 1881, it had been considered by American naturalists that the first scientific description of a black bass was that published by Lacépéde, about the year 1800, in the work just re- ferred to. This description was founded upon a drawing of a black bass, and accompanying manuscript notes, sent to him by M. Bosc, from the vicinity of Charleston, South Carolina, with the local name of “trout,” or “ trout- perch.”* This figure, and its accompanying description, were said to be so uncertain and inaccurate, that it had been considered very doubtful which species of black bass was intended to be represented. However, Lacépéde named it Labrus salmoides (Labre salmoide)— the “ trout-like ” Labrus, in accordance with its general appearance and vernacular name. ‘The EKuropean genus Labrus embraces a great many species, and some American fishes were re- ferred to it by European, as well as by our early American, naturalists. 4 It had also been held by American ichthyologists that it was after this, in 1801, that Lacépéde received his first example of a-black bass. This was a fine adult specimen * Some forty years before M. Bose sent the drawing of the Caro- lina “trout” to Lacépéde, two specimens of the same fish had been sent to Linnzeus by Dr. Garden, of Charleston, 8. C. These specimens were pressed skins of one-half of the fish, retaining the vertical fins, and mounted in the same manner as botanical speci- mens. Linnzus failed to describe or name them, but they are still preserved in the rooms of the Linnzan Society in the Burlington House, London, England, in connection with the Linnean her- barium and library. One of the examples is labeled thus by Dr. Garden: ‘No, 40. Lasrus. WNostralib. Fresh-water Trout.” HISTORY OF THE BLACK BASss. 5 of the small-mouth species, but, unfortunately, it was an abnormal specimen, with a deformed dorsal fin, several of the last rays having been apparently bitten off and torn loose from the others when the fish was young, presenting the appearance of a separate small fin. In conformity with this accidental peculiarity, Lacépéde named it Micropterus dolomieu — Dolomiew’s “ small-fin ’? — sup- posing that the little fin was a permanent and distinctive feature, and of generic value; he accordingly created the new genus Micropterus, and named the type in honor of his friend Dolomieu, a well-known French mineralogist, for whom the mineral dolomite was also named.* In 1817, C. 8S. Rafinesque, another French naturalist, then living in America, procured specimens, apparently of the small-mouth bass, in the region of Lake Champlain, which he named Bodianus achigan, from the Canadian vulgar name of l’achigan. He either failed to recognize, or repudiated, Lacépéde’s former descriptions of Labrus salmoides and Micropterus dolomieu. During the next few years, from 1818 to 1820, while collecting in the Ohio River and its tributaries, in Kentucky, Rafinesque took and described specimens of the small-mouth black bass, at dif- ferent stages of its growth, as Calliurus punctulatus, Lepo- mis trifasciata, Lepomis flexuolaris, Lepomis salmonea, Lepomis notata, and Etheostoma calliura, and specimens of the large-mouth bass he described as Lepomis pallida. In 1822, Charles A. Le Sueur, also a French naturalist, while in this country described and named specimens, of *In 1887 I personally examined this specimen in the Museum of Natural History in the Jardin des Plantes at Paris. It is a fine example, about a foot in length, and is in a remarkably good state of preservation. It is undoubtedly a small-mouth black bass. 6 Book OF THE BLACK BAss. . various ages, of the small-mouth black bass, as Cichla variabilis, (this name was never published by Le Sueur, but specimens sent by him and thus labeled, are still pre- served in the Museum D’Histoire Naturelle at Paris,) Cichla fasciata, Cichla ohiensis and Cichla minima, and the large-mouth bass frdém Florida as Cichla floridana, thus dissenting from, or entirely ignoring, Rafinesque. In 1828, the great Cuvier and his coadjutor, Valenci- ennes, received from Lake Huron a specimen of the large- mouth black bass, and which, as in the case of the first small-mouth bass sent to France, was, curiously enough, an abnormal or mutilated specimen, having likewise a de- formed dorsal fin. In this instance, the last two rays of the spinous dorsal fin were torn off, thus leaving, apparently, two separate and distinct dorsal fins, the first composed of six spines, and the second of two spines and twelve or thir- teen soft rays. This specimen was sent to them under the local name of “black bass,” or “black perch;’ and not suspecting the mutilation of the specimen. they named it Huro nigricans — the “ black huron.” In the following year, 1829, Cuvier and Valenciennes obtained two specimens, through M. Milbert, of the large- mouth bass, from New York, under the name of “ growler,” and four specimens of the small-mouth bass, through Le Sueur, from the Wabash River, in Indiana, all of which they identified with Lacépéde’s Labrus salmoides, and Le Sueur’s Cichla variabilis, and which they named Grystes salmoides. Subsequently Cuvier and Valenciennes an- nounced that Lacépéde’s Micropterus dolomieu was also identical with their Grystes salmoides.* * These specimens I have also personally examined. The two examples sent to the museum at Paris by Milbert, and from one of ‘epeuUllyS OxYeg ‘Ip Aq YAO styy oy A[ssordxo ‘gp *[d ‘Fe -d ‘11t “[eA W ‘ang ‘suosstog SOP O][AINJVN oL0JSIFT Wo poonpoados ‘saprowpps sajshap SouUaUs[VA PUY IOIAND Jo o[IWIS ovy VW “IVA ¥% AD) SHCIOWIVS SALSAUD : A aes ROE ¢ \ 4% fo. ies fag a Dos 2 HISTORY OF THE BLACK BASss. 9 ~The complex species, Grystes salmoides, thus created by Cuvier, was the origin and beginning of most of the subse- quent confusion that attended the nomenclature of the black bass species in America, inasmuch as he embraced both the large-mouth and small-mouth basses in this name. In 1842, Dr. James E. DeKay, in his “ Fishes of New York,” after reproducing Cuvier and Valenciennes’, figures and descriptions of Huro nigricans and Grystes salmoides, described specimens of the small-mouth black bass under two additional names: Centrarchus fasciatus and Cen- trarchus obscurus, claiming the latter as a new species. In the same year, Dr. Jared P. Kirtland adopted: Cen- trarchus fasciatus as synonymous with Le Sueur’s and Rafinesque’s numerous descriptions of the small-mouth species. In 1849, Dr. John E. Holbrook recorded the large-mouth bass as Grystes salmoides (name only) in a catalogue of fauna and flora in the “ Statistics of Georgia.” It will be noticed that Dr. Holbrook thus considered Grystes sal- motdes to be the proper name of the large-mouth black bass, or “ trout,” of Georgia. In 1850, Prof. Louis Agassiz recognized the generic identity of the former descriptions of the black bass by Le Sueur, Cuvier and Valenciennes, and DeKay, and re- tained the name Grystes for the same. In 1854, Prof. Agassiz obtained specimens of the large- mouth bass from the Tennessee River, near Huntsville, which the figure in Cuvier and Valenciennes’ “ Histoire Naturelle des Poissons” was taken, are both large-mouth black bass, one being fully eight, and the other about six inches in length. The four specimens from the Wabash River sent to the museum by Le Sueur are all small-mouth bass, the largest being at least fifteen inches in length, and the others about one-third as long. 10 Book OF THE Buack Bass. Ala., which he named, provisionally, Grystes nobilis. In _ the same year, Messrs. Baird and Girard described speci- mens of the same species from Texas, as Grystes nuecensis. In 1855, in his “ Ichthyology of South Carolina,” Dr. Holbrook gave an excellent figure and the first full and elaborate description of the Carolina “ trout,” under the name of (rystes salmoides Lacépéde. In 1857, Dr. Theodatus Garlick, one of the fathers of fish culture in America, described the small-mouth black bass as Grystes nigricans, and the large-mouth species as Grystes megastoma. In 1858, Dr. Charles Girard described the large-mouth bass as Dioplites nuecensis. In 1860, Dr. Theo. Gill restored Rafinesque’s earliest name for the small-mouth form of the black bass, calling it Lepomis achigan, which, however, he changed in 1865 to Micropterus achigan, and still later, in 1873, he adopted Lacépéde’s name, Micropterus salmoides, for the same species. In 1865, Dr. Edw. D. Cope named the large-mouth bass, Micropterus nigricans, which name was also adopted by Prof. Gill in 1866. In 1874, when, apparently, the oldest generic and specific names, Micropterus salmoides for the small-mouth bass, and Muicropterus nigricans for the large-mouth bass, had been restored, as in Prof. Gill’s masterly review* of the species in the previous year (when the tangled web had been, seemingly, straightened), when dry land was thought to have been reached at last ;— then came the French natu- *On the species of the genus Micropterus (Lac.) or Grystes (Auct.). By Theodore Gill, of Washington, D. C. Proceedings of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, XXII, 1873, pp. B. 55-72. HISTORY OF THE BLACK Bass. a ralists, again. MM. Vaillant and Bocourt, of Paris, in- stead of profiting by the experience of their predecessors in this matter, tried to show that we had four species of black bass, where but two really existed, and this in spite of the fact that the Gallic misnomer of the type species still existed as a terrible warning to them, of the folly of in- dulging their national love of novelty where so grave a matter as science was concerned. They proposed the title Dioplites variabilis for the small-mouth form, and Dio- plites treculii, Dioplites nuecensis and Dioplites salmoides, for the large-mouth form, under several unimportant varietal, or individual, differences. In 1876, Dr. G. Brown Goode restored Le Sueur’s name, and called the large-mouth black bass Micropterus floridanus. In 1877, Dr. David 8. Jordan restored the still older name of Rafinesque for this species, and with the full concurrence of Dr. Theo. Gill, designated it Micropterus pallidus. In 1878, Dr. Jordan divided the small-mouth species into two geographical varieties, distinguishing the North- ern form as M. salmoides var. achigan, and the Southern form as M. salmoides var. salmoides, Finally, MM. Vaillant and Bocourt (Miss. Sci. au Mexique: ined.) adopted the generic title Micropterus, but recognized four provisional species: MW. dolomiew and M. variabilis for the small-mouth form and M. salmoides and M. nuecensis for the large-mouth form. under certain, evi- dently, unimportant variations. Thus, it will be seen that, from the first, the nomen- clature of the black bass species had been involved in great doubt, uncertainty, and confusion; and while much of the complexity had been, apparently, dissipated, there still 12 Book oF THE BLACK Bass. existed among ichthyologists some difference of opinion as to the proper differentiation of the species. Even the gen- erally accepted nomenclature, prior to 1881, unfortunately and unavoidably established, as it was, on an insecure basis, was liable at any time to fall to the ground while the said differences among the authorities existed. Now, if we could have felt perfectly confident and rea- sonably sure that the premises adopted by our American naturalists were correct, to wit: that Labrus salmoides Lacépéde was the first scientific description of the small- mouth bass, we could then have left the subject here, with the firm conviction that the matter was settled for all time, and could thus have felt assured of the ultimate and uni- versal adoption and perpetuity of the American nomen- clature of the black bass, viz: Micropterus salmoides (La- eépéde) Gill, for the small-mouth species, and Micropterus pallidus (Rafinesque) Gill & Jordan, for the large-mouth species. In that event, I say, we could have rested con- tent; for, although the generic appellation, and the specific title of the small-mouth black bass, as proposed, were mis- nomers, they were the only names that could rightly be bestowed, under the circumstances, and we could well af- ford to submit gracefully to what could not be bettered, or helped. It will be observed, however, that Dr. Vaillant proposed the title Micropterus salmoides for the large-mouth bass ; and as we called the small-mouth bass by the same name, it would have produced endless confusion were that state of things to continue. If the black bass of Europe were al- ways to be confined to a few preserved specimens and plaster casts in the museums, it would not have mattered so much; but as this desirable game-fish had been already introduced into European waters, it would seem to be a HIsTORY OF THE BLACK BAss. ta matter of some interest to obtain a correct, uniform, and universal nomenclature of the species. Even as late as 1880 Dr. Gunther, the great English authority, in his “ Introduction to the Study of Fishes,” nailed Grystes and Huro to the mast-head as valid genera. It will be noticed that Dr. Vaillant adopted the north- ern and southern varieties of the small-mouth bass as provisional species, and likewise separated the large-mouth bass into two species, one being distinguished by teeth on the tongue, the other by their absence. I have often noticed this peculiarity of the presence or absence of lingual teeth in the large-mouth species in fish from various waters, and am not sure but I have observed it in the small- mouth species occasionally, but I have always considered it as developed, possibly, by the character of the food in certain localities, or merely a phase of individual variation. In 1878, Dr. Jordan, while in Europe, gave great at- tention to the investigation of the black bass from the Paris standpoint. He examined, with the greatest care, Lacé- péde’s original type specimen, and the specimens of Cuvier and Valenciennes. He was determined to get to the bottom of the matter, if possible, and to this end consulted freely, and compared notes, with the French ichthyologists, who aided him in every possible way. He afterward published the result of his researches, which forms one of the most interesting papers pertaining to the literature of the black bass.* . Dr. Jordan submitted the evidence resulting from his investigation to Dr. Gill, who, owing to his faith in Cuvier, * Notes on Certain Typical Specimens of American Fishes in the British Museum and in the Museum D’Histoire Naturelle at Paris. By David §S. Jordan, M.D. < Proceedings of United States National Museum, 11, 1879, pp. 218-226. 14 Book oF THE BLAcK Bass. and to a misleading reprint of Lacépéde’s Natural History . of Fishes, concluded that we could still retain our nomen- clature of the black bass species, viz: Micropterus salmoides for the small-mouth, and Micropterus pallidus for the large- mouth, for reasons that it is not necessary to repeat here. This view was acquiesced in by Dr. Jordan, though he admitted in the paper referred to that “ the specific name dolomieuw was the first ever distinctly applied to our small- mouth black bass,” and that in the figure of Bose’s Labrus salmoides “the mouth is drawn large, and if we must choose, the large-mouth is best represented ;” also that in the museum at Paris the name salmoides was fully adopted for that species. I was convinced that the estimate of the black bass species as entertained by Dr. Vaillant was correct, and that dolomieu for the small-mouth, and salmoides for the large- mouth black bass, were more in accordance with the evi- dence set forth in Dr. Jordan’s paper, than our accepted nomenclature, based as it was upon’ the conflicting testi- mony of Cuvier and Valenciennes, who embraced every thing known of the black bass, in their day, in their Grystes salmoides, except Huro nigricans, and had it not been for the gap in its dorsal fin, the inference is, they would have included that also. I do not make this statement unguard- edly, or disrespectfully, for while I venerate the name of Cuvier, I am convinced that he failed to discriminate be-. tween the two species of black bass. But let us begin at the beginning. Now, if we discard both the description and figure of Cuvier and Valenciennes’ Grystes salmoides, we have left (ignoring for the time both Rafinesque and Le Sueur) only Lacépéde’s Labrus salmoides and Muicropterus dolomieu. HIsTORY OF THE BLACK BAss. 15 Let us take Lacépéde’s figure and description of Labrus salmoides, just as they are, on their own merits, without - any reference to Cuvier’s valuation of them; and to render the matter plain, I have reproduced, at the close of this chapter, fac-simile representations of Lacépéde’s plates of both Labrus salmoides and Micropterus dolomieu, with his descriptions, from the original edition of his “ Histoire Naturelle des Poissons.” In the first place, as Dr. Jordan truly says of the figure of Labrus salmoides: “if we must choose, the large-mouth is best represented.” This is certainly correct, for no one could mistake this figure for a small-mouth black bass. Then, Lacépéde’s description says the opening of the mouth is very large (“ ouverture de la bouche fort large”). The radial formula of the dorsal fin is given as nine spinous rays and thirteen soft rays (“neuf rayons aiguillonés et treize rayons articulés 4 la nageoire du dos”). This num- ber of dorsal spines will hold good in seventy-five per cent. of cases, in the large-mouth bass of the south; sometimes there will be found but eight. The rest of the description will apply to either species. Then, again, Lacépéde, on the authority of M. Bosc, says the species is very abundant in the rivers of Carolina, where they are called “trout,” and are caught with the hook baited with a minnow (“On trouve un tres-grande nombre d’indivdus de cette espece dans toutes les riviéres de la Caroline; on leur donne le nom de traut ou truite. On les prend 4 Vhamecon; on les attire par le moyen de morceaux de cyprin”’). Now, if we had not been trying to reconcile Labrus salmoides with the small-mouth bass, contrary to the evi- dence of our own senses, so as to accord with Cuvier’s creation of the complex Grystes salmoides — becoming blind to the points of difference and enlarging upon the 16 Book OF THE Buack Bass. vagueness and inaccuracy of the drawing and its descrip- tion — we might have discovered that this figure had, as Lacépéde says, a “ very large mouth ;” and that while the large-mouth black bass, or “trout” is “very abundant” in Carolina waters, the small-mouth black bass is appa- rently unknown, at least in the vicinity of Charleston, where Bosc collected. As an angler, I have fished for the black bass in all the South Atlantic States, from Maryland to Florida; and while I have found the large-mouth bass “ very abundant ”’ in all parts of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, I never took a single small-mouth bass in either of these latter states within a hundred miles of the coast. I have taken it in the hill-country of each of these states, about the head-waters of the rivers flowing into the At- lantic, but I doubt very much if it is found anywhere in the lowland region of that section of country. Dr. Edward D. Cope, who fished the streams of North Carolina, in the autumn of 1869, from the Cumberland Mountains to the sea, found the large-mouth bass, “ abund- ant in all the rivers of the state,” but failed to find the small-mouth bass, except in the Alleghany region of the extreme western part of the state; and says that it is “apparently not found east of the great water-shed.** If the small-mouth black bass inhabits the Atlantic slopes of North Carolina, South Carolina, or Georgia, Dr. Holbrook would have known it; for there has been no ichthyologist, before or since his time, who understood the structure and habits of the “ Carolina trout” so well. The best description, and the best figure of the large-mouth bass [cece 5S ees nee cee SS ae * A Partial Synopsis of the Fresh Water Fishes of North Caro- lina. By E. D. Cope, A.M. < Pro. Am, Phil. Soce., p. 450, 1870. ——-— = s HIstory OF THE BLACK BASS. 1% (“trout”) ever published, until recent years, is found in his work, “ Ichthyology of South Carolina.” In order to show that he clearly understood the relations of the black bass species, I will quote as follows: “The trout has, however, its representatives both in the North and West, with which it is closely allied: as Grystes nigricans (Huro nigricans) of Cuvier and Valenciennes, and Grystes fascia- _ tus (Cychla fasciata) of Le Sueur, both of which have been re- ferred by Agassiz to the genus Grystes.” * Dr. Holbrook knew that the southern trout (large-mouth black bass) was neither Huro nigricans (with its two dis- tinct dorsal fins), nor Cichla fasciata (the small-mouth bass). He called the “trout” Grystes salmoides Lack- PEDE, (not G. salmoides Cuyv. & Val.), for he knew that Lacépede’s Labrus salmoides, or Bose’s Perca trutta could be nothing else but the “Carolina trout” (large-mouth black bass) ; and, moreover, he distinctly repudiated Cuvier and Valenciennes’ complex Grystes salmoides. Professor Agassiz clearly recognized the complex char- acter of Cuvier’s Grystes salmoides, saying he “ probably mistook specimens of our Grystes fasciatus for the south- ern species.”+ Professor Agassiz regarded (irystes sal- motdes as the proper name for the southern large-mouth black bass (trout), and in comparing with it Grystes fas- ciatus, says: “The mouth is less opened and the shorter labials do not reacha vertical line drawn across the hinder margin of the orbits, whilst they exceed such a line in G. salmoides.” + i * Ichthyology of South Carolina. By John Edwards Holbrook, M.D. 25, 1855. + Agassiz, Lake Superior, p. 295, 1850. 9 rw 18 Book oF THE BuiacKk Bass. And yet we deceived ourselves, with all this evidence staring us in the face, with the flimsy delusion that Bosc’s drawing of the “ Carolina trout” was a small-mouth bass, simply because Cuvier pronounced it synonymous with Cichla variabilis Le Sueur and Micropterus dolomieu Lacépeéde. Now, if we conclude from this that Labrus salmoides is the large-mouth black bass, then the small-mouth black bass claims its birthright of Micropterus dolomieu, which unquestionably belongs to it. This, in short, seemed to be the view of Dr. Vaillant, and it seemed to me to be the correct one, though he took the figure of Grystes salmoides as additional evidence, the said figure being made from a large-mouth black bass, as is very evident from a glance at the reproduction of the original, which is given in this connection. Being thoroughly convinced that Labrus salmoides was a large-mouth black bass, from my own knowledge of the Carolina “ trout,” and from the views of Agassiz, Holbrook and Vaillant, I had fully determined to restore Lacépéde’s names, viz: A/icropterus salmoides for the large-mouth bass and Micropterus dolomieu for the small-mouth bass, in the first edition of this book. There was but one contingency that could have proved the right of the small-mouth bass to the name Micropterus dolomieu in a stronger, or absolute manner, and it would be stronger, because incontrovertible, namely: the priority of Lacépéde’s description of Micropterus dolomieu to his description of Labrus salmoides, and it was my belief that such a contingency really existed, for the following reasons: In collating the bibliography of the black bass for the first edition of this book, I discovered an apparent dis- erepancy, which, if it really existed, had an important and _ a History OF THE Brack BASss. 19 significant bearing on the proper nomenclature of the species. I noticed that most American authors, in referring to Lacépeéde’s description of Labrus salmoides, gave the reference as “ Lacépéde, Hist. Nat. des Poiss. Vol. m1, p. 716, 18002”, and that of Micropterus dolomieu as “ Lacépéde, Hist. Nat. des Poiss. Vol. Iv, p. 325, 18002”; thus, of course, giving the priority of description to Labrus salmoides, as we then understood and accepted it. On the other hand, I noticed that Cuvier and Valen- ciennes* gave the reference to Micropterus dolomieu in Lacépede’s work as “Vol. Iv, p. 325.” and that of Labrus salmoides in the same work, as evi tv,. p16, (172" I noticed further that all references to the figure of Lacépeéde’s Micropterus dolomieu were given as vem: pl. 3, fig. 3,” and that of Labrus salmoides as Baber. iV, pl. 5, fig. 2.” I was at once struck with this discrepancy, for if Cuvier and Valenciennes’ reference of Labrus salmoides Lacépeéede (Vol. Iv, p. 716, 717) was correct, it would give the pri- ority of description to Muicropterus dolomieu Lacépede (Vol. Iv, p. 325). The numerical sequence of the plates also gave it priority. While revising this chapter of the first edition of this book for the press, I learned from Dr. Jordan that he had just received from France, a copy of Lacépeéde’s original edition of his great work. I at once wrote to him to ascer- *Cuv. & Val. Hist. Nat. des Poiss. Vol. 11, p. 55, 1829, and Vol. v, p. v, 1830. 20 Book OF THE BLAcK Bass. tain which reference to Labrus salmoides was the correct one. His characteristic reply was: “In answering your questions I have struck a mare’s nest; 'M. dolomieu, Vol. Iv, 325, 1802; L. salmoides, Vol. 1v, 716, 1802; the latter being in a supplement, which, in some of the reprints, is restored to its proper place in the genus Labrus in Vol. 11. From this you will see that dolomieu has priority over salmoides. I still believe that salmoides was intended for the large-mouth bass, but don’t know that I can prove it.” Thus, after the lapse of four-fifths of a century, the small-mouth black bass recovered the name to which it was clearly entitled, Alicropterus dolomieu; truth and justice prevailed; Lacépéde and his illustrious friend Dolomieu were vindicated. American ichthyologists, it will be seen, had been mis- led by using a reprint, instead of the original edition, of Lacépéde’s work, which fact, together with an ill-placed faith in Cuvier, led to the confusion of the nomenclature of the black bass species as related in the preceding pages. Perhaps it will now be well to refer to some objections heretofore raised to the generic title Micropterus, and the specific appellations salmoides and dolomieu, on the score of irrelevancy. J might say, however, that priority, lke charity, covers a multitade of sins.* * To those anglers who are better posted in the technical terms of the great American “ introduced to the nobility of Eng- land by General Schenck, than in the technical terms introduced here in reference to the nomenclature of the great American game ” “game-fish,” I need only say that Micropterus, and the specifie names dolomieu and salmoides, “hold the age” over all other synonyms that have taken a hand, from time to time, in the “ little game.” This comparison may be more striking than analogical, but as Jack Bunsby would say, its force “lies in the application of it.” HISTORY OF THE BLACK BASs. at Micropterus (little-fin) is really less objectionable than any of the names proposed for the genus, for it has, com- paratively, smaller fins than any of the related genera, though not in the sense intended by Lacépéede. Calliurus (beautiful tail) is not at all characteristic of the genus, though the young of the small-mouth species, in certain localities, has the tail marked as described by Rafinesque : “ base yellow, middle blackish, tip white.” Grystes (growler) is certainly not applicable in this sense. I never met an angler who had heard a black bass “ orowl,” yet it was on the supposition that it did so, that Cuvier gave it this name. We had better stop here, for if we go farther we shall fare worse. We will now refer to the objectionable features of the specific names dolomieu and salmoides. Salmoides (trout-like; literally, salmon-like). Lacépéde conferred this name simply (and appropriately, so far as he was concerned) because the figure was sent to him as the “trout,” or “trout-perch ” of Carolina. If we take its game qualities into consideration, there is no fish that is so “ salmon-like ” as the black bass; none that exhibits so nearly the characteristic leap, the pluck, and the endur- ance of the “ king of the waters.” The name is, therefore, not altogether inappropriate. Dolomieu being a French proper noun, without a Latin or genitive form, might be considered objectionable. Lacépéde used the name, however, in this form, advisedly ; not through ignorance, nor by accident, but for the sake of euphony, and to perpetuate the name of his friend in its integrity. In order to recognize and respect Lacépéde’s motive, it is best to let the name stand just as he wrote it, dolomieu. As Dr. Vaillant adopts this form, and doubt- less for the same reason, it is important for the sake of 22 Book OF THE BLACK BASss. uniformity to allow it to stand. There is no lack of prece- dents for this form of specific title. I will merely mention as an example: Icterus baltimore — the former name of the Baltimore oriole. The title baltimore, as here used, is a proper noun, and was bestowed in honor of Lord Baltimore, whose livery was black and orange, the colors of the oriole or hanging-bird. Let the name of the small-mouth bass, then, stand as dolmieu — the name of a brave man for a brave fish. (This engraving is a fac-simile of that in Lacépéde’s Hist. Nat. des Poissons, Vol. Iv, pl. 3, fig. 3.) LE MICROPTERE DOLOMIEU.* Je desire que le nom de ce poisson, qu’aucun naturaliste n’a encore décrit, rappelle ma tendre amitié et ma profonde estime pour l’illustre Dolomieu, dont la victoire vient de briser les fers. En écrivant mon Discours sur la durée des espéces, j’al exprimé la vive douleur que m’inspiroit son affreuse captivité, et Vadmiration pour sa _ constance * Micropterus dolomieu. HISTORY OF THE BLACK BASS. 23 héroique, que |’Europe méloit a ses vceux pour lui. Qu’il m’est doux de ne pas terminer l’immense tableau que ye tache d’esquisser, sans avoir sente le bonheur de le serrer de nouveau dans mes bras! Les microptéres ressemblent beaucoup aux sciénes: mais la petitesse trés-remarquable de leur seconde nageoire dor- sale les en sépare; et cest cette petitesse que désigne le nom générique que je leur ai donné.* La collection du Muséum national d’histotre naturelle renferme un bel individu de Vespéce que nous décrivons dans cette article. Cette espece, qui est encore la seule inscrite dans le nouveau genre des microptéres, que nous avons cru devoir établir, a les deux machoires, le palais et la langue, garnis d’un, trés-grand nombre de rangées de dents petite, crochues et serrées; la langue est d’ailleurs trés-libre dans ses mouvemens; et la machoire inférieure plus avancée que celle d’en-haut. La membrane branchiale disparoit entierement sous Vopercule, qui présente deux piéces, dont la premiere est arrondie dans son contour, et la seconde anguleuse. Cet opercule est couvert de plusieurs écailles ; celles de dos sont assez grandes et arrondies. La hauteur du corps proprement dit excéde de beaucoup celle de lorigine de la queue. La ligne latérale se plie d’abord vers le bas, et se reléve ensuite pour suivre la courbure du dos. Les nageoires pectorales et celle de Panus sont trés- arrondies ; la premiere du dos ne commence qu’a une assez grande distance de la queue. Elle cesse d’étre attachée au dos de animal, a lVendroit ot elle parvient au-dessus de Vanale; mais elle ce prolonge en bande pointue et flottante jusqu’au-dessus de la seconde nageoire dorsale, qui est trés- basse et trés-petite, ainsi que nous venons dele dire, et que * Mixpos, en grec, signifie petit. 24 Book or THE BLACK Bass. on croiroit au premier coup d’ceil enticrement adipeuse.* —(Lactrrpe, Hist. Nat. des Poiss. Vol. tv, 325, 1802.) Le LaBRre SALMOIDE. t On devra au citoyen Bose la connoissance du labre sal- moide et du labre iris, qui tous les deux habitent dans les eaux de la Caroline. ; LABRE SALMOIDE. (This engraving is a fac-simile from Lacépéde’s Hist. Nat. des Poissons, Vol. Iv, pl. 5, fig. 2.) Le salmoide a une petite élévation sur le nez; ouverture de la bouche fort large; la machoire inférieure un peu plus longue que la supérieure; l'une et Vautre garnies d’une grande quantité de dents trés-menues; la langue charnue ; *5 rayons & la membrane branchiale. 16 rayons 4 chaque pectorale. 1 rayon aiguillonné et 5 rayons articulés 4 chaque thoracine. 17 rayons 4 la nageoire de la queue. — [D. X, 7-4; A. IT, 11.] + Labrus salmoides. Perea trutta. Manuscrits communiqués par le citoyen Bose. HISTORY OF THE BLACK Bass. 25 le palais hérissé de petites dents que l’on voit disposées sur deux rangées et sur une plaque triangulaire; le gosier situé au-dessus et au-dessous de deux autres plaque également hérissées ; ’ceil grand; les cdtés de la téte, revétus de petite écailles; la ligne latérale paralléle au dos; une fossette propre a recevoir la partie antérieure de la dorsale; les deux thoracines réunies par une membrane; l’iris jaune, et le ventre blanc. On trouve un trés-grand nombre d’individus de cette espéce dans toutes les riviéres de la Caroline; on leur donne le nom de traut ou truite. On les prend a Vhamecon; on les attire par le moyen de morceaux de cyprin. Ils parvien- nent a la longueur de six ou sept décimétres; leur chair est ferme, et Wun gotit trés-agréable— [Br. 6; D. IX, 13; A. 13; P. 13; V. 6; C. 18.] — (LackpéEpz, Hist. Nat. des Potss. Vol. 1v, 716, 1802.) 26 Book OF THE BuAack Bass. CHAPTER II. NOMENCLATURE AND MORPHOLOGY. Crass *PISGhe: SusoLtass THLEOSTEL Orpen ACANTHOPTERI. SusorpER ,RHEGNOPTERI. Famity CENTRARCHID. SUBFAMILY MICROPTERIN A. Genus MICROPTERUS Lac&PsEps. SYNONYMY AND REFERENCES. Micropterus LAcEPEDE, Hist. Nat. des Poiss. Iv, 325, 1802. (Type M. dolomieu Lac.) Labrus species, LACEPEDE, Hist. Nat. des Poiss. Iv, 716, 1802. (L. salmoides Lac.) (Not of Linneus, the type Labrus mixtus L. belonging to the family of Labride, the com- mon wrasse-fish of the coasts of Europe.) Bodianus species, RAFINESQUE, Am. Mo. Mag. and Crit. Rev. I, 120, 1817. (B. achigan Raf.) (Not of Bloch, the type of Bodianus, being a marine fish of the family of Ser- ranide@. ) Calliurus RAYVINESQUE, Jour. de Phys. v, 88, 420, June, 1819, and Ich. Ohi. 26, 1820. (Not of Agassiz, Girard, e¢ al.) (Type C. punctulatus Raf.) Lepomis RAFINESQUE, Ich. Ohi. 30, 1820. (Not Lepomis Raf. Jour. de Phys. u, 50, 1819, the original type Labrus auritus L. being a fresh water sunfish.) Eo NOMENCLATURE AND MoRPHOLOGY. pig Aplites RAFINESQUE, Ich. Ohi. 30, 1820. (As subgenus of Le- pomis. Type L. pallidus Raf.) Nemocampsis RAFINESQUE, Ich. Ohi. 31, 1820. (As subgenus of Lepomis. Type L. flexuolaris Raf.) Dioplites RAFINESQUE, Ich, Ohi. 32, 1820. (As subgenus of Le- pomis. Type L. salmonea Raf.) Aplesion RAFINESQUE, Ich. Ohi. 36, 1820. (As subgenus of Htheos- toma. Type E. calliwra Raf.) Cichla species, LE SurEurR, Jour. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phil. 11, 216, 1822. (C. fasciata Le 8.) (Not of Cuvier, the type Cichla ocellaris Bloch, being a South American fresh water fish of the family of Cichlide.) Huro CuviER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. des Poiss. 11, 124, 1828. (Type H. nigricans C, & V.) Grystes CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. des Poiss. 11, 54, 1829. (Type Labrus salmoides Lac.) Huro Swainson, Nat. Hist. and Class. Fishes, ete., 11, 200, 1839. Grystes SwAINSON, Nat. Hist. and Class. Fishes, ete., t1, 202, 1839. Centrarchus species, KIRTLAND, Bost. Jour. Nat. Hist. v, 28, 1842. (C. fasciatus K.) (Not of Cuvier, the type Labrus wideus Lac., being a fresh water sunfish.) Centrarchus species, DeEKay, Fishes N. Y. 28, 1842. (C. fasciatus DeK.) Grystes AGAssiz, Am. Jour. Sci. and Arts. (2), xvur, 297, 1854. Dioplites GiRArD, U. S. Pac. R. R. Surv. x, Fishes, 4, 1858. Grystes GUNTHER, Cat. Fishes Brit. Mus., 1, 252, 1859. Huro GUNTHER, Cat. Fishes Brit. Mus., 1, 255, 1859. Micropterus Corr, Pro. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phil. 83, 1865. (Name . only. ) Micropterus GitLt, Ann. Rep. Dept. Agric. 407, 1866. Micropterus GILL, Pro. Am. Asso. Adv. Sci. xxtr, B. 55, 1873. Dioplites VAILLANT & Bocourt Miss. Sci. au Mexique, 1874. Huro BLEEKER,. Syst. Pere. Revis. < Ext. des Are. Neer. x1, 15, 1875. Micropterus .BLEEKER, Syst. Pere. Revis. < Ext. des Are. Neer. Sat, iho,’ 1875. Micropterus JORDAN, Man. Vert. E..U. 8. 229, 1876. Micropterus JoRDAN, Am. N. Y. Lyc. Nat. Hist. x1, 313, 1877. Micropterus JORDAN, Pro. U. S. Nat. Mus. 11, 218, 1880. 28 Book oF THE Biack BAss. Grystes GUNTHER, Intro. Study of Fishes, 392, 1880. Huro GUNTHER, Intro. Study of Fishes, 393, 1880. Micropterus Corre, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., xvi, 32, 1880. Micropterus HENSHALL, Book of the Black Bass, 65, 1881. Micropterus Corr, Rep. Pa. Fish Com., 130, 1881. Micropterus JORDAN & GILBERT, Syn. Fishes N. A., 484, 1882. Micropterus JorvDAN, Geol. Surv. Ohio, 1v, 942, 1882. Micropterus VAILLANT & BocourtT, Miss. Sci. au Mexique, 1883. Micropterus GILL, Standard Nat. Hist., m1, 230, 1885. Micropterus JORDAN, Manuel Vertebrates, 120, 1888. Micropterus JoRDAN & EVERMANN, Fishes of N. A., 1010, 1896. Micropterus JornpDAN & EVERMANN, Amer. Food and Game Fishes, 355, 1902. Micropterus HENSHALL, Bass, Pike, Perch, and Others, 1, 1903. ETYMOLOGY: Mrxpds ( mikros), small; rrepov ( pteron), fin Type: Micropterus dolomieu Lacépéde. GENERIC CHARACTERIZATIONS. Head well developed, its length varying from 3 to 34 times in length of body; compressed; rather full between the eyes; snout rounded; profile straight; lower jaw prominent and projecting. Scales on cheek, opercle, subopercle, and _ inter- opercle, but none, or few, on the preopercle. Eye moderately large, nearly median, but rather nearer the snout than the preopercle. — Nostrils round and normal. Mouth large, with the cleft oblique; the posterior extremity of the upper jaw extends nearly to, or beyond, the posterior border of the eye. Lips but slightly developed. Preopercle smooth and rounding at its angle. Opercle nearly triangular, emarginate be- hind, ending in two flat points. Subopercle extends beyond the opercle, ending in a membranous point. Interopercle rounded be- | low. Gill openings large. Branchiostegals six on each side. Both jaws are armed with villiform teeth, curving backward. Patches of villiform teeth on vomer, palatine and pharyngeal bones. Gill-rakers long and slender, and armed with teeth. EE —————-———- = NOMENCLATURE AND MORPHOLOGY. 29 Tongue moderate and free; thick behind, narrow in front; its surface usually smooth. Body elongate, ovate-fusiform, somewhat compressed; deepest just behind the ventrals. Scales moderate; smaller on breast and nape. Lateral line following curve of the back. Dorsal fin with nine or ten spines; a deep notch between the spinous and soft portions. Anal fin with three spines. Caudal fin emarginate. Pyloric ceca fourteen or more. Air-bladder simple, slightly notched behind. CONTRASTED DIFFERENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS.* SMALL-MouTH. LARGE-MOouTH. Scales of trunk Small (e. g. lat. line, 72-75; Moderate (e. g. lat. line, 65- between lateral line, and back, 70; between lateral line and 11 rows). back, 74% or 8 rows). Scales on nape and breast Much smaller than those of Searcely (on nape), or not sides. much (on breast) smaller than those of sides. Scales of cheeks Minute (e. g., between orbit Moderately small (e. g., be- and preoperculum, about 17 tween orbit and preoperculum, rows in an oblique line and _ about 10 rows in an oblique line about 9 in a horizontal one). and about 5-6 in a horizontal one). Scales of interoperculum uniserial Covering only about half the Covering the entire width of width of the bone. the bone. *On the species of the genus Micropterus (Lac.) or Grystes (Auct.). By Theodore Gill. Pro. Amer. Assn. Adv. Science. WEIL, LST: 30 Book OF THE Buack Bass. SMALL-MouTH. _ LarcE-Moutu. Scales of preopercular limb None. Developed in an imperfect row (e. g., 3-5 in number). Scales on dorsal Developed as a deep sheath Developed as a low (obsolete) (involving last spine) of small shallow sheath, and with series seales differentiated from those ascending comparatively little on the back, and with series ad- on membrane behind the rays vancing high up the membrane (none behind the last five or behind each ray (except last two — six). or three). Scales on anal Ascending high behind each None (or very few). ray. Mouth Moderate. Large. Supramazillary Ending considerably in front Extending considerably _ be- of hinder margin of orbit (about hind the posterior margin of under hinder border of pupil). orbit. Rays Dorsal articulated, 13. Dorsal, articulated, 12 (I. 1%). Anal III, 10-11. Anal IIT, ey (13). Pectoral, 1-16-1-17. | Pectoral, 1- Dorsal fin in front of soft portion Little depressed, the ninth Much depressed, the ninth spine being only about a half-—spine being-only about a fourth shorter than the longest (3, 4,5) as long as the longest and half and a fourth shorter than the as long as the tenth. tenth. NOMENCLATURE AND MoRPHOLOGY. 31 ' SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES OF MICROPTERUS. Common characters.— Body elongated, ovate-fusiform; slightly compressed; arched and thick along the back, thinner and straight along the belly; lower jaw longest; both jaws armed with broad bands of villiform teeth of uni- form size; villiform téeth also on vomer, palatine and pharyngeal bones; teeth on gill-rakers; spinous and soft portions of dorsal fin partly divided by a notch; anal fin with three spines; caudal fin emarginate; opercule emarginate behind, ending in two flat points; supple- mental maxillary bone well developed. | * Mouth large; angle of mouth anterior to the posterior border of the eye. 7 Third dorsal spine only one-half higher than the first. a. Notch between spinous and soft rays of dorsal comparatively shallow. b. Seales small on body, much smaller on breast and back of neck, and quite small on cheeks, in 17 rows; 11 rows of scales between lateral line and dorsal fin; 70 to 80 scales along the lateral line (exclusive of small pre-caudal scales). c. No scales on preopercular limb. d. Anal fin almost without seales. (7?) e. Head moderate in size; slightly convex between the orbits. f. Color, slaty or dusky green on back and sides, shading to white on belly and lower jaw; young brighter green, and more or less spotted and marked with vertical bars; tail in young (in some localities), yellow at base, middle black, tip white; opercle with three oblique olivaceous streaks ; DE Oe gro ee OPEL, : VL. tee eee tetas esc DOLOMIEU. ** Mouth very large; angle of mouth extends beyond the posterior border Othe eye. +7 Third dorsal spine twice (at least) as high as the first. aa. Dorsal notch deep, almost dividing the fin into two. bb. Seales moderate; not much smaller on cheeks, nape or breast: seales on cheeks in 10 rows: 8 rows of scales between lateral line and dorsal fin; 65 to 70 seales along lateral line (exclusive of smal! pre-caudal scales). ce. A single row of scales on preopereular limb, dd. Anal fin somewhat scaly. (7?) ee. Head large; flat between the orbits. 32 Book OF THE BLACK BAss. ff. Color, olive green, darker on back and shading to white on belly and under side of lower jaw; more or less spotted when young; not barred, though usually an irregular dark lateral band; three oblique streaks on cheeks; these markings grow obscure with age; D. X, 12; A. III, YS Oe colin in s.calja! «| 6 p's adtare sha tege tee aOR Seer een SALMOIDES. CHRONOLOGICAL CATALOGUE Of the Nominal Species of Micropterus as noticed by various Authors, with Identifications. NOMINAL SPECIES. Identifications. Micropterus dolomieu Lacépéde ................ 1802 | Micropterus dolomieu. Labrus salmoides Lacépéde ...............ee00 1802 | Micropterus salmoides. Bodianus achigan Rafinesque ................0+. 1817 | Micropterus dolomieu. Calliurus punctulatus Rafinesque............... 1819 | Micropterus dolomieu. Lepomis pallida Rafinesque ..............e..ee00- 1820 | Micropterus salmoides. Lepomis trifasciata Rafinesque ................. 1820 | Micropterus dolomieu. Lepomis flexuolaris Rafinesque.................. 1820 | Micropterus dolomieu. Lepomis salmonea Rafinesque................... 1820 | Micropterus dolomieu. Lepomis notata Rafinesque ..................... 1820 | Micropterus dolomieu. Etheostoma calliura Rafinesque................. 1820 | Micropterus dolomieu. Cichla variabilis Le Sueur, MSS................6- 1822 | Micropterus dolomieu. CCH TASCIAUA) LIS SUOMI 5. bircc s «os ciniviss dee Pele 1822 | Micropterus dolomieu. GiCHa OHICHSIS TO SUGUE s. 5c cen oe don cle Saree cate 1822 | Micropterus dolomieu. Cichla minima Lie Sueur’ os... ves: «cicero tiene sions 1822 | Micropterus dolomieu. Cichla foridana Wie: SuSUl s <..ss. sds dercas sec ese 1822 | Micropterus salmoides. Huro nigricans Cuvier & Valenciennes...........| 1828 | Micropterus salmoides. Grystes salmoides Cuvier & Valenciennes....... 1829 | Micropterus dolomieu? Centrarchus obscurus DeKay .............sc000- 1842 | Micropterus dolomieu. Centrarchus fasciatus Kirtland..............0% 1842 | Micropterus dolomieu. GLY StS NISTICANSEA SASSIZ «4 ove co cess sett siclesinre visye 1850 | Micropterus salmoides. Grystes fasciatus AGASSIZ 2.06. .cscseeeSasdene’ 1850 | Micropterus dolomieu. Grystes mobilistAGASsiz, o.5 cee 5 sic nise' ous saaisie date, orere 1854 | Micropterus salmoides. Grystes nuecensis Baird & Girard............... 1854 | Micropterus salmoides. Grystes salmoides Holbrook ......... pala wee mivialc 1855 | Micropterus salmoides. Grystes megastoma Garlick..........csceccssecce 1857 | Micropterus salmoides. Grystes migricans Garlick... cc. cennet ns ose vere 1857 | Micropterus dolomieu. Diaphites NUCCEHSIS GITALG. 62. sjo0 veils vecse ence» 1858 | Micropterus salmoides. Grystes salmonoides Giinther ...........0...e00 1859 | Micropterus dolomieu. Grystes nigricans Llerberb. «<<: es seid sislerys.ecieinlese's 1859 | Micropterus salmoides. Lepomis achiran Gillin sisted s eva See wou as eae. 1860 | Micropterus dolomieu. ARECTOpPLErUs NISTICAUS COPE, «sts ss c0sk ds ens x's 1865 eropterus salmoides. Micropterus fasciatus Cope’. «.ctsnciake + cis sloic's 1865 icropterus dolomieu. Micropterus:achigan-Gill. i. «a. blvoes bodes tne 1866 | Micropterus dolomieu. Nicropterus|salmoides, Gillie... cemseniieee neers 1873 | Micropterus dolomieu. Dioplites treculii Vaillant & Bocourt ........... 1874 | Micropterus salmgides. Dioplites nuecensis Vaillant & Bocourt......... 1874 | Micropterus salmoides. Dioplites variabilis Vaillant & Bocourt ......... 1874 | M. dolo. var. achigan. Dioplites salmoides Vaillant & Bocourt......... 1874 | Micropterus salmoides. Micropterus floridanus Goode............. ....- 1876 | Micropterus salmoides. Micropterus pallidus Gill & Jordan.............. 1877 | Micropterus salmoides. Micropterus salmoides var. salmoides Jordan ..| 1878 | M. dolomieu var. dolo. Micropterus salmoides var. achigan Jordan..... 1878 | M. dolo. var. achigan. Micropterus salmoides Vaillant & Bocourt...... 1883 | Micropterus salmoides. Micropterus nuecensis Vaillant & Bocourt...... 1883 | Micropterus salmoides. Micropterus variabilis Vaillant & Bocourt.......| 1883 | M. dolo. var. achigan. Micropterus dolomieu Vaillant & Bocourt...... 1883 | M. dolomieu var. dolo. | Date. ‘puvpedon “y ‘ga ‘aq Aq YLoM styy LOZ ATssoadxo oanjeu Wolf UMBICE ‘apadgov'y navmojop snwajydosorpy SSV@ MOVId HLNON-TIVWS AHL RTA Ue Cla le ager Ce (Lc OC NOMENCLATURE AND MORPHOLOGY. 35 MICROPTERUS DOLOMIEU Lacépkpe. THE SMALL-MOUTH BLACK BASS. SYNONYMY AND REFERENCES. 1802. Micropterus dolomieu LackPEDE, Hist. Nat. des Poiss., Iv, 325, 1802. Micropterus dolomieu HENSHALL, Book of the Black Bass, 84, 1881. Micropterus dolomieuw McKay, Pro. U. 8. Nat. Mus., Iv, 93, 1881. Micropterus dolomieuw JoRDAN & GILBERT, Syn. Fishes N. A., 485, 1882.- _ Micropterus dolomieu JORDAN, Geol. Sury. Ohio, Iv, 948, 1882. Micropterus dolomieu VAILLANT & BocourtT, Miss. Sci. au Mex., Zool., 1883. Micropterus dolomiei BEAN, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., xxv, 464, 502, 1883. Micropterus dolomiei JoRDAN & SwaIn, Pro. U. 8S. Nat. Mus., VI, 249, 1883. Micropterus dolomiei BEAN, Pro. U. S. Nat. Mus., vi, 365, 1883. Micropterus dolomiei GoopE, Fish. Industries U. S., sec. I, 401, 1884. Micropterus dolomiei Forses, Rept. Ills. Fish Com., 67, 1884. Micropterus dolomieu GiLL, Standard Nat. Hist., 11, 231, 1885. Micropterus dolomiei JoRDAN, Cat. Fishes N. A., 17, 1885. Micropterus dolomiei VON DEM Borne, Die Fischzucht, 148, 1885. Micropterus dolomiei JoRDAN & MEEK, Pro. U. 8S. Nat. Mus., vit, 7, 1885. Micropterus dolomiei EIGENMANN & Forpice, Pro. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phil., 411, 1885. Micropterus dolomiet JORDAN & GILBERT, Pro. U. 8. Nat. Mus., x, 5, 12, ¥886. Micropterus dolomieu MATHER, Colvin Adirond. Surv., Fishes, 5, 1886. Micropterus dolomiei EVERMANN, Bull. Brook. Soc. Nat. Hist. 0, 7, 1886. Micropterus dolomiei EVERMANN & BoLiuMAN, Ann. N. Y. Lye. Nat. Hist., 339, 1886. Micropterus dolomieuw JoRDAN & EVERMANN, Ind. Agric. Rept., 13, 1886. 36 Book OF THE BLAck Bass. Micropterus dolomieu VON DEM BoRNE, Schwarzbarsch, etc., 3, 1886. Micropterus dolomiei GoopE, American Fishes, 54, 1888. Micropterus dolomieu JoRDAN, Manual Vertebrates, 120, 1888. Micropterus dolomieuw JORDAN & EVERMANN, Fishes of N. A., 1011, 1896. Micropterus dolomieu JORDAN & EVERMANN, Am. Food and Game Fishes, 355, 1902. Micropterus dolomieu HENSHALL, Bass, Pike, Perch and Others, 3, 1903. 1817. Bodianus achigan RAFINESQUE, Am. Mo. Mag. and Crit. Rev. I, 120, 1817. Lepomis achigan GILL, Pro. Ac, Nat. Sei. Phil. 20, 1860. Micropterus achigan Gitt, Rept. Com. Agri. 407, 1866. Micropterus achigan GoopE & BEAN, Bull. Essex Inst. x1, 19, 1379 1820. Calliurus punctulatus RAFINESQUE, Ich. Ohiensis, 26, 1820. Lepomis trifasciata RAFINESQUE, Ich. Ohiensis, 31, 1820. Lepomis flecuolaris RAFINESQUE, Ich. Ohiensis, 31, 1820. Lepomis salmonea RAFINESQUE, Ich. Ohiensis, 32, 1820. Lepomis notata RAFINESQUE, Ich. Ohiensis, 32, 1820. Etheostoma calliura RAFINESQUE, Ich. Ohiensis, 36, 1820. 1822. Cichla variabilis LE Surur, MSS., in Museum d’Hist. Nat. Paris, 1822. Dioplites variabilis Vatttant & Bocourt, MSS. Miss. Sci. au Mexique, 1874. Micropterus variabilis VAILLANT & Bocourt, Miss. Sci. au Mexi- que: ined. * Used on the wrong supposition that the name ‘“‘Labre salmoide ” as used by Lacépéde was vernacular (French), unaccompanied by a classical form, and therefore not available. NCMENCLATURE AND MoRPHOLOGY. fi 1822. Cichla fasciata LE Sueur, Jour. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phil. 1, 216, 1822. ‘ Cichla fasciata KIRTLAND, Zoology Ohio (2d An: Rep. Geol. Surv. Ohio), 191, 1838. Centrarchus fasciatus KIRTLAND, Bost. Jour. Nat. Hist. v, 28, 1842. Centrarchus fasciatus DEKaAy, Fishes N. Y. 28, 1842. Centrarchus fasciatus SToRER, Syn. Fishes N. A. 38, 1846. Grystes fasciatus AGASSIZ, Lake Superior, 295, 1850. Centrarchus fasciatus THompson, Hist. Vt. 131, 1853. Grystes fasciatus Eorr, Smithsonian Report, 289, 1854. Grystes fasciatus GILL, Smithsonian Report, 257, 1856. Centrarchus fasciatus GUNTHER, Cat. Fishes Brit. Mus. 1, 258, 1859. Grystes fasciatus GUNTHER, Cat. Fishes Brit. Mus. I, 252, 1859. (Name only.) Centrarchus fasciatus ROOSEVELT, Game Fish of North, 217, 1862. Micropterus fasciatus Corr, Pro. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phil. 83, 1865. (Name only.) Grystes fasciatus PUTNAM, Storer’s Fish Mass. 278, 1867. Micropterus fasciatus Corr, Jour. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phil. vr, 216, 1868. Micropterus fasciatus Cope, Pro. Am. Phil. Soe. 450, 1870. 1822. Cichla ohiensis LE Surur, Jour. Ac. Nat. Sei. Phil. 11, 218, 1822. Cichla ohiensis KIRTLAND, Rept. Zool. Ohio: 2d Geol. Rept. Ohio, 191, 1838. 1822, Cichla minima LE Sueur, Jour. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phil. 1, 220, 1822. Cichla minima KirTLAND, Rept. Zool. Ohio: 2d Geol. Rept. Ohio, 191, 1838. 1829. ? Grystes salmoides CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. des Poiss. 1, 54, 1829. Grystes salmoides JARDINE, Nat. Lib. I, Perches, 158, 1835. Grystes salmoides DreKay, Fishes N. Y. 26, 1842. Grystes salmoides STORER, Synopsis Fishes N. A. 36, 1846. Gristes salmoeides HERBERT, Fish and Fishing, 197, 1859. Grystes salmonoides GUNTHER, Cat. Fishes Brit. Mus. 1, 252, 1859. Micropterus salmoides Gitu, Pro. Am. Asso. Ady. Sci. B 55, 1873. : 38 Book OF THE BLAck BAsy. Micropterus salmoides JorpAN, Ind. Geol. Surv. 214, 1874. Micropterus salmoides JoRDAN, Man. Vert. E. U. S. 230, 1876. Micropterus salmoides UHLER & LueGER, Fishes of Md. 111, 1876. Micropterus salmoides Newson, Bull. Ills. State Lab. Hist., 1, 37, 1876. Micropterus salmoides JornpAN, Ann. N. Y. Lye. Nat. Hist. Xt, 314, 1877. Micropterus salmoides JorRDAN, Bull. U. 8. Nat. Mus. 1x, and x, 1877. Micropterus salmoides Hattock, Sportsman’s Gazetteer, 373, 1877. (In part.) Micropterus salmoides JorDAN, Man. Vert. E. U. 8S. 2d ed., 236, 1878. Micropterus salmoides JorpaNn, Bull. U. 8S. Nat. Mus. xu, 30, 1878. Micropterus salmoides HENSHALL, Rept. Ohio Fish Com. 31, 1879. Micropterus salmoides GoovE, Bull. U. 8. Nat. Mus., 49, 1879. Micropterus salmoides JoRDAN, Pro. U. 8. Nat. Mus. 11, 218, 1880. Micropterus salmoides Goovr, Bull. U. 8. Nat. Mus., x, 28, 1880. Micropterus salmoides BEAN, Pro. U. S. Nat. Mus., m1, 1880. Micropterus salmoides Core, Rept. Pa. Fish Com., 1881. 1842. Centrarchus obscurus DEKAy, Fishes New York, 30, 1842. Centrarchus obscurus STORER, Syn. Fishes N. A. 40, 1846. Centrarchus obscurus GUNTHER, Cat. Fishes Brit. Mus. I, 258, 1859. 1857. Grystes nigricans GARLICK, Treat. Art. Prop. Fish, 105, 1857. Grystes nigricans Norris, Am. Anglers’ Book, 103, 1864. EryMotocy: Dolomieu, proper name (in honor of M. Dolomieu). Hagirat: Canada to Alabama; along the Appalachian Chain and westward; introduced eastward. ‘purvjedog “ya “Aq Aq YAM sty} Loy ATssoidxe oye WOLF, UMVICL ‘apadgov'yT ([[VysueT{) saprowjzns snsajzdo.soi py ‘SSVa MOVIE HLNONADAVT AHL ae acne are Sg GN TNE ‘ KO & A (i rd ee (i cCh (OCCU Quy (AQ feb NOMENCLATURE AND MORPHOLOGY. 41 MICROPTERUS SALMOIDES (Uac.) HensHatt. THE LARGE-MOUTH BLACK BASS. SYNONYMY AND REFERENCES. 1802. Labrus salmoides LACEPEDE, Hist. Nat. des Poiss. Iv, 716, 1802. Grystes salmoides HoLBrook, Cat. Fauna and Flora. Statistics of Ga., 16, 1849. Grystes salmoides AGASSIz, Lake Superior, 295, 1850. Grysies salmoides Hotsroox, Ich. So. Car. 25, 1855,. and 2d ed. 28, 1860. Grystes salmoides Norris, Am. Anglers’ Book, 99, 1864. (In part.) Dioplites salmoides VAILLANT & Bocourt, Miss. Sci. au Mexique, 1874. Microplerus salmoides HENSHALL, Book of the Black Bass, 110, 1881. . Micropterus salmoides, McKay, Pro. U. 8. Nat. Mus., tv, 93, 1881. Micropterus salmoides GoopE & BEAN, Pro. U. S. Nat. Mus., v, 238, 1882. Micropterus salmoides JORDAN & GILBERT, Syn. Fishes N. A., 484, 1882. Micropterus salmoides JORDAN, Geol. Surv. Ohio, Iv, 952, 1882. Micropterus salmoides Hay, Bull. U. 8. Fish Com., u, 64, 1882. Micropterus salmoides BEAN, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., xxvii, 446, 502, 1883. Micropterus salmoides VAILLANT & BocourT, Miss. Sci. au Mex- ique, 1883. Micropterus salmoides GoopE, Fish. Industries U. S. sec. 1, 401, 1884. Micropterus salmoides GILBERT, Pro. U. S. Nat. Mus. vu, 204, 209, 1884. Micropterus salmoides JorDAN, Pro. U. 8. Nat. Mus., vi, 320, 1884. Micropterus salmoides Forses, Rept. Ills. Fish Com., 67, 1884. Micropterus salmoides GILL, Standard Nat. Hist., 1, 231, 1885. Micropterus salmoides JORDAN, Cat. Fishes N. A., 17, 1885. Micropterus salmoides JoRDAN & MEEK, Pro. U. S. Nat. Mus., vill, 14, 16, 17, 1885. Micropterus salmoides GoopE & BEAN, Pro. U. S. Nat. Mus., vill, 208, 1885. 42 Book OF THE Buack Bass. Micropterus salmonoides VON DEM Borne, Fischzucht, 148, 1885. Micropterus salmoides JoRDAN & GILBERT, Pro. U. 8. Nat. Mus., Ix, 21, 1886. Micropterus salmoides BottMaAN, Pro. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1x, 464, 1886. Micropterus salmoides EVERMANN, Bull. Brook. Soc. Nat. Hist., 3; 7, LSSu. Micropterus salmoides JonDAN & EVERMANN, Ind. Agric. Rept., 13, 1886. Micropterus salmoides JENKINS, Hoosier Naturalist, 95, 1886. Micropterus salmoides VoN DEM Borne, Schwarzbarsch, etc., 3, 1886. Micropterus salmoides GoopE, American Fishes, 54, 1888. Micropterus salmoides JorDAN, Manual Vertebrates, 120, 1888. Micropterus salmoides JorpDAN & EvERMANN, Fishes of N. A., 1012, 1896. -Micropterus salmoides JorpAN & EvERMANN, Am. Food and Game Fishes, 357, 1902. Micropterus sakmoides HENSHALL, Bass, Pike, Perch and Others, 30, 1903. 1820. Lepomis pallida RAFINESQUE, Ich. Ohiensis, 30, 1820. Micropterus pallidus Jorpan, Ann. N. Y. Lye. Nat. Hist. x1, 314, 1877. Micropterus pallidus Jorpan, Bull U. 8S. Nat. Mus. Ix, 21, and x; 43, 1877. Micropterus pallidus JorpAN, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. xr, 15, 1878. Micropterus pallidus JorpvAN, Hayd. Geol. Surv. Ter. Bull. Iv, No. 2, 435, 1878. Micropterus pallidus JorpAN, Man. Vert. E. U. S. 2d ed., 236, 1878. Micropterus pallidus Goopvr, Pro. U. 8. Nat. Mus. 1, 115, 1879. Micropterus pallidus Goope & Bran, Bull. Essex. Inst. x1, 19, 1879. Micropterus pallidus GoopE & BEAN, Pro. U. S. Nat. Mus. I, 138, 1879. Micropterus pallidus HENSHALL, Rept. Fish Com. Ohio, 31, T3722: Micropterus pallidus Goope, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., x1v, 49, 1879. NOMENCLATURE AND MORPHOLOGY. 48 Micropterus pallidus JoRDAN, Pro. U. 8. Nat. Mus. m1, 19, 1880. Micropterus pallidus GoopvE, Bull. U. 8. Nat. Mus., xvii, 28, 1880. Micropterus pallidus BEAN, Pro. U. 8. Nat. Mus., 111, 96, 1880. Micropterus pallidus Hay, Pro. U. 8. Nat. Mus. 111, 497, 1880. Micropterus pallidus Core, Rept. Pa. Fish Com., 131, 1881. 1822. Cichla floridana LE Sueur, Jour. Act. Nat. Sci. Phil. m1, 219, 1822. Micropterus floridanus GoovE, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. vi, 63, 1876. (Name only.) Micropterus floridanus Corr, Bull. U. 8S. Nat. Mus., xvi, 31, 1880. 1828. Huro nigricans CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. des Poiss. II, 124, 1828. Huro nigricans JARDINE, Nat. Lib. 1, Perches, 108, 1835. Huro nigricans RICHARDSON, Fau. Bor. Am. III, 4, 1836. Huro nigricans DeKay, Fishes N. Y. 15, 1842. Huro nigricans Storer, Syn. Fishes N. A. 25, 1846. Grystes nigricans AGASSIZ, Lake Superior, 297, 1850. Grystes nigricans HERBERT, Fish and Fishing, 195, 1859. Huro nigricans GUNTHER, Cat. Fishes Brit. Mus. I, 255, 1859. Huro nigricans ROOSEVELT, Game Fish of the North, 219, 1862. Micropterus nigricans CopE, Pro. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phil. 83, 1865. (Name only.) Micropterus nigricans GILL, Rept. Com. Agric. 407, 1866. Micropterus nigricans Cope, Pro. Am. Phil. Soc. 451, 1870. Micropterus nigricans Git, Pro. Am. Asso. Adv. Sci. B. 70, 1873. Micropterus nigricans JorRDAN, Ind. Geol. Surv. 214, 1874. Micropterus nigricans JoRDAN, Man. Vert. E. U. S. 229, 1876. Micropterus nigricans NEtson, Bull. Ills. State Lab. Nat. Hist., I, 36, 1876. Micropterus nigricans HALLocK, Sportsman’s Gazetteer, 273, 1877. (In part.) 1854, Grystes nobilis Acassiz, Am. Jour. Sci. Art, xviI, 298, 1854. Grystes nobilis PUTNAM, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. I, 6, 1863, (Name only.) 44 Book OF THE BLAcK Bass. 1854. Grystes nuecensis BAtRp & GIRARD, Pro. Ac. Nat. Sei. Phil. vu, 25, 1854. Dioplites nuecensis GIRARD, U. 8S. Pac. R. R. Surv. x, Fishes, 4, 1858. Grystes nuecensis GUNTHER, Cat. Fishes Brit. Mus. 1, 252, 1859. (Name only.) Dioplites nuecensis GIRARD, U. 8S. Mex. Bound. Sury. it, 3, 1859. Dioplites nuecensis VAILLANT & Bocourt, Miss. Sci. au Mexique, 1874. Micropterus nuecensis VAILLANT & Bocourt, Miss. Sci. au Mex- ique, 1883. 1857. Grystes megastoma GARLICK, Treat. Art. Prop. Fish, 108, 1857. 1874. Dioplites treculii VAILLANT & Bocourt, Miss. Sci. au Mex- ique, 1874. (Zodlogie, pt. Iv, plate Iv, f. 2. No descrip- tion; the species since identified by its authors with M. nuecensis.) EtyMoLocy: Salmoides, trout-like; salmon-like. HABITAT: Red River of the North to Florida: Virginia to Mexico: introduced eastward. DISTINCTIVE FEATURES. 45 CHAPTER III. GENERAL AND SPECIFIC FEATURES. * Like — but oh! how different! ”— WorpsworTH. As has been shown in the preceding chapter, the genus MIcroPTERUS includes but two species, viz: Muicropterus dolomieu Lacépéde, the small-mouth black bass, and Mi- cropterus salmoides (Lacépéde) Henshall, the large-mouth black bass, or, as it is sometimes erroneously called, the Oswego bass. The small-mouth bass exhibits some minor points of difference between its northern and southern forms, which, however, are not of much moment, as they shade into each other, and are to be regarded as merely geographical variations. _ Dr. Edward D. Cope took several large-mouth bass, in Texas,* which, while agreeing in all other features with the same species of the northern states and of Florida, differed somewhat in the smaller size of the scales of the cheeks, and in the scaling of the gill-covers. They also differed slightly in coloration and markings by showing several dusky, longitudinal streaks, especially noticeable below the lateral line. I observed these several variations, though not quite so pronounced, in several large-mouth bass taken in the St. Francis River, Arkansas, in the au- tumn of 1885. Possibly no genus of fishes has been the occasion of so much confusion, scientifically and popularly, as the black *On the Zoological Position of Texas; By E. D. Cope. > Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., xvi1, 1880, 31. 46 Book OF THE Buack Bass. bass. This is owing, no doubt, to its extensive habitat and wide-spread distribution, the original habitat of one or other of the species being the great basin of the St. Law- rence, the whole Mississippi Valley — or nearly the entire range of country lying between the Appalachian Chain and the Rocky Mountains — and the South Atlantic States from Virginia to Florida, including also the widely-sepa- rated sections of the Red River of the North and East Mexico. It would naturally be expected, in view of this extraor- dinary and expansive habitat, to find differences in color, habits and conformation; indeed, it is surprising that the variations are not more marked, and the number of species, consequently, greater, when one considers the great natural differences and conditions of the numerous waters, and the varieties of climate to which this genus is native. 'To the careless observer, however, there is but little to determine the differences between the two species of black bass. I have known anglers who never suspected that there was any difference except in color, until I pointed out to them the specific characteristics. Even those of more attentive observation, but who have never seen the two species to- gether, find it difficult to readily comprehend the differ- ence. ‘To the trained observer, however, it is an easy task to distinguish the variations ; and when specimens of equal weight, of both species, are placed side by side, the differ- ence is at once apparent. As widely distributed as the black bass is, we find that the most striking variation, in either species, is in color, which will run from almost black through all the shades of slate, green, bronze, olive and yellow to almost white ; and indeed these variations in color can be found in almost any one state, and to a great extent in any one stream, or DISTINCTIVE FEATURES. 47 lake, at different seasons of the year. In most sections of the country the small-mouth species is more or less spotted or barred, while the other species may exhibit well-defined lateral bands of dark spots, though these peculiarities are more pronounced in young or adolescent specimens. The fins will also be found to vary somewhat in coloring, - while the scales and fin-rays may differ slightly in number, as a variation of one-sixth, more or less, from established formulas is not unusual. Slight dissimilarities of contour, and some diversities of habits, also, exist. But all of these differences obtain, not only with regard to the black bass, but to most other species of fresh-water fishes, and depend on well-known natural causes. I resided for ten years in Wisconsin, where there were twenty lakes, abounding in black bass, within a radius of eight miles of my residence; and from close and constant observation of the characteristics of the bass inhabiting them, I could almost invariably tell, upon being shown a string of black bass, in what particular lake they had been caught. Where both species co-exist in the same waters, the small- mouth bass is generally of a darker or more somber hue than the large-mouth bass, whose color is more inclined to shades of green. The coloration of the small-mouth bass, however, in some localities, approaches shades of olive or yellow, and there will often be more or less red in the iris of the eye, in some instances shading down to orange or yel- low; this latter distinction, though, like the double curve at the base of the caudal fin, and the more forked tail — which have been regarded by some anglers as distinguish- ing characteristics of this species —can not be depended on, as one or all of these distinctions may be lacking. The most distinctive feature, as between the two species, 48 Book OF THE BLACK Bass. is the gape of the mouth, which in the large-mouth bass seems simply enormous to those who have previously seen but the small-mouth species. The contrast in build, and external conformation, of the two species, is at once strik- ing and characteristic. The large-mouth bass is thicker, especially through the shoulders, deeper in the body, and seems a heavier fish for its length than the other species, conveying the impression that it is the stronger and more powerful fish, as, indeed, it is; while the small-mouth bass, owing to its trim, slender and more graceful shape, truly convinces one that it is the more active and agile. The relative size of the scales is all important in the dif- ferentiation of the two species. In the large-mouth bass these are much larger, there being but from sixty-five to seventy scales along the lateral line, running from the head to the tail; while in the small-mouth species there are from seventy to eighty. Between the lateral line and the base of the dorsal fin there are but eight horizontal rows of scales in the large-mouth bass, while there are eleven similar rows in the small-mouth bass. The scales on the nape and breast in the large-mouth species are not much smaller than those of the sides; but in the other species they are much smaller; and while the scales on the cheeks and gill-covers of the large-mouth bass are small, those of corresponding situations in the small-mouth bass are quite minute, with a small portion of the gill-covers (preopercular limb) en- tirely bare. The size and shape of the fins also differ somewhat, espe- cially the dorsal, which in the small-mouth bass has the rays of the spinous portion higher and more uniform in size, rendering this fin higher, not so arching, and with a shallower notch than in the large-mouth form. The differences, then, in the form, gape of mouth, and DISTINCTIVE FEATURES. 49 size of scales and fins of the two species of black bass, with- out reference to color, are sufficiently pronounced to enable the angler to readily distinguish, by comparison, the small- mouth from the large-mouth ; for these differences are con- stant wherever the black bass exists, from Maine to Mexico, or from Canada to Florida. To the specialist there are other points of differentiation as detailed in the preceding chapter. The late Fred Mather has humorously expressed these differences in the following characteristic lines: “The little-mouth has little scales, There’s red in his handsome eye; The scales extend on his vertical fins, And his forehead is round and high. His forehead is full and high, my boys, And he sleeps the winter through ; He likes the rocks in summer time, Micropterus dolomieu. The big-mouth has the biggest scales, And a pit scooped in his head; His mouth is cut beyond his eye, In which is nary a red. In his eye is nary a red, my boys, But keen and well he sees; He has a dark stripe on his side, Micropterus salmoides.” Both species are remarkably active, muscular and vo- racious, with large, hard and tough mouths; are very bold in biting, and when hooked exhibit gameness and endur- ance second to no other fish. Both species give off the characteristic musky odor when caught. 4 50 Book OF THE BLAck Bass. Both species often inhabit the same waters in the north- ern states, and there is some diversity in their habits where. they exist together. Naturally, the small-mouth bass pre- fers rocky streams or the gravelly shoals and bottom springs of lakes and ponds, while its large-mouth congener lurks about the submerged roots of trees or sunken logs in rivers, and delights in the beds of rushes and aquatic plants of lacustrine waters; but they readily adapt themselves to waters of various conditions, when transplanted, easily ac- commodating themselves to their surroundings, and have a happy faculty of making themselves at home wherever placed, so that in some localities their habits are as anoma- lous as their colors. There is a prevalent notion that the small-mouth bass is the “game” species par. excellence. In common with most anglers I at one time shared this belief, but from a long series of observations I am of the opinion that the large-mouth bass, all things being equal, displays as much pluck, and exhibits as untiring fighting qualities as its small-mouth cousin. Ichthyologists have at various times given to the genus Micropterus numerous appellatives, and to the species more than fifty specific names, while laymen in different sections of the country have contributed their quota of vernacular names, among which may be mentioned: bass, black bass, green bass, yellow bass, river bass, bayou bass, slough bass, lake bass, moss bass, grass bass, marsh bass, Oswego bass, swago bass, perch, black perch, yellow perch, trout perch, jumping perch, Welshman, salmon, trout, black trout, white trout, chub, southern chub, Roanoke chub, achigan, etc. In addition to this formidable and perplexing array of names, there are other evils which add very much to the confusion attending the nomenclature of the black bass. DISTINCTIVE FEATURES. 51 Among them is the careless habit of many correspondents of our sportsmen’s journals, who write of bass, bass tackle, bass fishing, etc., meaning black bass in each instance, but leave it to the imagination of the readers of those journals as to what particular kind of “ bass ” is meant. Now this is all wrong, and is owing to carelessness, or perhaps in some instances to a want of proper information, and is a habit that ought to be reformed. We should learn to call things by their right names. A rose by any other name may smell as sweet, but as there are many varieties of roses they must be distinguished by correct and specific names, and not by their odors. It is just as easy to write the distinctive name “black bass” as the general name “bass.” | Bass is a very vague term at best, meaning one thing in one part of the country, and a totally different thing in an- other. Along the eastern coast it means a striped bass (Roccus lineatus), or a sea bass (Centropristes striatus) ; in Florida it means a channel bass (Scie@nops ocellatus) ; in the west it may be either a black bass (Micropterus), a rock bass (Ambloplites rupestris), a white bass (Roccus chrysops), or a calico bass (Pomoxys sparoides) ; while in Otsego County, New York, it means an Otsego bass (Core- gonus clupeiformis var. otsego), which is not a bass at all but a whitefish. Then, again, some of these correspondents write of the real black bass, meaning usually the small-mouth species, seeming to imply that the other species is not real, or at least is not the black bass, but something else —a kind of pseudo variety. Others in writing of the large-mouth spe- cies, owing to its former name, M. nigricans, have called it the real black bass, under the impression that as it was named nigricans — 1. e., black — the other species must be 52 Book OF THE BuLAckK BAss. some other color, and could not be the simon-pure article. Now, one species is not more real than the other; the small- mouth bass is regarded as the type species because it was the first to be described by a naturalist, and given a specific and generic name. The term “black bass,” then, is distinctive, and should always be used when alluding to the genus generally. The different species should be mentioned as the small-mouth black bass or the large-mouth black bass, as the case may be, no matter whether the color be black, green or yellow. — One will then know exactly what is meant, and the confu- sion and uncertainty alluded to will be cleared away: “ Not chaos-like, together crush’d and bruis’d, But, as the world, harmoniously confus’d, Where order in variety we see, And where, though all things differ, all agree.”— Popr. CoLORATION. 53 CHAPTER IV. COLORATION OF THE BLACK BASS. “And it is so with many kinds of fish, and of trouts especially ; which differ in their bigness and shape, and spots and color.”— IzAAK WALTON. Tue external appearance of the black bass, as exhibited in the colors and markings, differs so greatly and con- stantly in different sections of our country, that it would be useless to describe them minutely in a specimen from any given locality; for as the vernacular names of fishes are usually bestowed with reference to the outward pecu- liarities of coloring, this has already given rise to much confusion in naming the species. ‘Thus they are called black, green, or yellow bass, respectively, in different sec- tions of the United States, and not without reason, for black, green or yellow are the predominating colors of the two species, though these colors are always toned down to intermediate shades, with plumbeous, olivaceous or ochre- ous tints. The color, however, is always darkest on the back, with a gradual shading or paling toward the belly or abdomen, which is always white or whitish. Where the two species of black bass are common to the same stream or lake, the small-mouth bass is generally the darkest in color, though this is by no means an invariable rule; for in other waters the small-mouth bass may be of a lighter or paler hue than the other species — usually yellowish-olive or tawny-gray, but often pale green — while the large-mouth bass will be of a dark green or bronze green coloration, and sometimes quite dusky. 54 Book OF THE BLACK Bass. Then, again, in some waters, no distinct coloring is ap- parent, the fish presenting merely a pale or faded appear- ance ; especially is this likely to be the case in large streams much subject to overflow, and whose waters are often muddy or discolored. Hence, as may be surmised, color is not an important factor in the differentiation of the black bass species. While some have no distinct markings, others are marked by dark, maculated, transverse or vertical bars ; some, again, by longitudinal or lateral bands; and still others by mottled lines, dusky spots, or finger marks. Usually, when bass are so marked, the mottled bands run lengthwise in the large-mouth species, while the small-mouth bass is marked by transverse bars or finger marks; but these distinctions are not infallible. The small-mouth bass of the extreme southwest exhibits, sometimes, several mottled lines run- ning lengthwise along the series of scales. After being taken out of the water, the colors and mark- ings of the fish change materially; usually, the brighter colors fade rapidly, while the dusky spots, bars, or bands become more distinct; this change of color is more fre- quently observed in the small-mouth species. Sometimes, however, the markings will disappear, and the sides of the fish will assume a uniform coloration. Then, again, the colors of the black bass frequently change with each season of the year; and there is, more- over, always a marked difference in the colors and mark- ings of the fish at different stages of its growth. In the young, the colors are brighter and the markings more dis- tinct than in the adult fish, for it is not unusual for the latter to become almost obsolete with age. The fins are likewise subject to variation in coloring and markings; they may be either dusky or greenish, reddish . ps > .. + ? COLORATION. 55 or yellowish, ‘and are, usually, more or less punctulated or spotted. The tail is often lighter in color at the base and outer edge, and dark or dusky between; thus one of the names proposed by Rafinesque for the small-mouth species — Calliurus punctulatus, 1. e., “ dotted painted-tail ” — was founded upon the peculiar coloration of the tail of a young bass, his description of the caudal fin being: “ base yellow, middle blackish, tip white.” Sometimes, however, especially in mature specimens, the tail has a dark border, ‘while the middle is of a lighter tinge; and often the entire caudal fin will have a uniform coloration. There are, commonly, several — usually three — dusky or olivaceous streaks along the cheeks and gill-covers. Inconstancy of coloration is not exceptional with the black bass, for all other genera of fresh water and ana- dromous fishes exhibit this peculiarity in a greater or less degree. Among the causes assigned for the changes in coloration, and which have been either proven true or made tenable by actual experiment and careful observa- tion, are: (1) character of food; (2) condition, depth and temperature of water; (3) color and character of beds of streams, lakes or ponds; (4) atmospheric conditions; (5) age; (6) season of the year; and (7) the changes in- cident to the breeding season; while some assume that (8) the power of changing color is voluntary with some, if not all, fishes. Richard Owen, in “Anatomy of the Vertebrates,” says: “The varied, and often brilliant colors of fishes, are due to pigment cells at different depths of the skin, but chiefly in the active or differentiating area. Those of silvery or golden luster are mostly on the surface of the scales. The silvery pigment called ‘argentine’ is an article of commerce used for the color- ing of fictitious pearls, and offers a crystalline character under 56 Book OF THE BLACK Bass. the microscope. The blue, red, green, or other bright-colored pig- ment is usually associated with fine oil, and occupies areole favoring accumulation at, or retreat from, the superficies, and thus effecting changes in the color of the fish, harmonizing their exterior with the hue of the bottom of their haunts.” From the nature of the pigment cells, as portrayed in this description, it is easy to imagine how susceptible they are to the influences of such causes as those above enume- rated. The Salmonide have been more studied, perhaps, than any other family of fishes, and yet in none has there been more confusion in classification, owing in a great measure to the differences of external appearance, as caused by these various influences. The German naturalist, Seibold, says: “In none of our native [German] fish is there such variety of color, according to the different influences of food, water, hight and temperature, as in the toothed salmons.” Another German scientist, Carl Peyrer, says of the com- mon brook trout of Germany (Trutta fario): “The color, and partly also the size which it reaches, vary ac- cording to its location, the influences of light, the season, water, and food, and therefore several varieties are dis- tinguished, such as the forest or stone trout, the alpine or mountain trout, the gold or pond trout, the lake trout, and, according to the lighter or darker coloring, the white trout, the black trout, ete.” Truly almost as polyonomous as our black bass. That difference in food produces difference in coloration is pretty generally admitted. Those of the salmon family which feed upon crustacea and larve exhibit the most bril- lant colors, while those which live upon insects, minnows, worms, ete., are much duller in hue. COLORATION. 5” Sir Humphrey Davy, in his familiar work, “ Salmonia,” says: “T think it possible when trout feed much on hard substances, _ such as larve and their cases, and the ova of other fish, they have more red spots and redder fins. ‘This is the case with the gillaroo and the char, who feed on analogous substances; and the trout that have similar habits might be expected to resemble them. When trout feed on small fish, as minnows, and on flies, they have more tendency to become spotted with small black spots, and are generally more silvery.” Charles Lanman, an angling artist and author, says: “ Various causes have been assigned for the great variety in the eolor of the brook trout. One great cause is the difference of food; such as live upon fresh-water shrimps and other crustacea, are the brightest; those which feed upon May-flies and other aquatic insects are the next; and those which feed upon worms are the dullest and darkest of all.” Dr. A. T. Thompson, the author of “ Treasury of Na- tural History,” observes : “That each species of trout has its peculiarities of color, but the common trout is the most beautiful of its class; the variations of its tints and spots, from golden-yellow to crimson and greenish- black, are almost infinite, and depend in a great measure on the nature of its food, for the colors are always the most brilliant in those fish that feed on the water shrimp.” Near Waterville, Waukesha County, Wisconsin, thirty years ago, was an extensive trout hatching establishment, where a number of fine springs formed a considerable stream after leaving the ponds and flumes, and into which a number of brook trout had escaped at various times, so that finally it became well stocked with trout, which propa- 58 Book OF THE BLACK Bass. gated naturally in the stream. The trout which were reared artificially were kept in covered plank flumes, and in open ponds, and were fed principally on chopped liver ; those in the ponds got some addition to this fare, however, in aquatic flies, insects, etc. The stream contained a great many crawfish, which did much damage to the dams and ditches of adjacent cranberry marshes. Frequently visit- ing this establishment, | was struck with the remarkable difference in the colors of the trout in the flumes, in the ponds, and in the stream. ‘Those in the flumes were quite dull in appearance ; those in the ponds were brighter; while those in the stream were very highly colored, caused, per- haps, by their feeding upon the crawfish with which the stream abounded. The dull color of the trout in the flumes was partly owing to their shaded condition. Not only does the character of the food seem to influ- ence the external coloring of the salmon family, but the tint of the flesh, if I may so call it, may also be affected by the same cause ; thus, Louis Agassiz states that the most beautiful salmon-trout are found in waters which abound in crustacea, direct experiments having shown to his satis- faction that the intensity of the red color of their flesh depends upon the quantity of Gammarid@ (shrimp) which they have devoured. | The red-throat trout (Salmo clarkii lewisi) of Henry's Lake, at the head of Snake River, in Idaho, and likewise those of Soda Butte Lake in the Yellowstone National Park, are noted for the deep red tint of their flesh —as red as that of the Chinook salmon — and on this account are erroneously called “salmon-trout.” The probable cause of their red flesh may be found in the extraordinary abundance of fresh-water shrimp that inhabit both lakes, which are of similar character, being shallow, with muddy COLORATION. 59 bottom and a luxurious growth of water weeds, conditions exceedingly favorable for the growth and increase of the shrimp. A striking instance of the difference in coloring of the flesh from the influence of age or season, is related by the European ichthyologist, Dr. Fric, in regard to the salmon of Bohemia. He says that there are three different ascents of the salmon during the year: The first ascent begins in February or March under the ice, and lasts till May. These salmon weigh from twenty-five to fifty pounds, and are famous under the name of “ violet-salmon.” The second ascent begins in June and lasts till August. These fish have a reddish flesh, and weigh from twelve to twenty-two pounds, and are known as “ rose-salmon.” The third as- cent is from September until December. These fish are mostly weak, weighing from three to fifteen pounds. Their flesh is pale, and they are usually called “ silver- salmon.” The trout of the mountain lakes of the Alps, according to the season and the nature of the water they inhabit, have their flesh whitish or reddish. The color and condition of the water has likewise a very marked effect upon the external appearance of the Salmon- ide. Agassiz found that the color of book trout of neighboring streams was influenced by the color and quan- tity of the water, and that even trout of the same stream differed in color as they frequented the shady or sunny side. He also found that fish in clear, sunny waters, with gravelly bottoms, were highly and brightly colored; while those in shady streams, or where the bottom was dark or muddy, and the water not so clear, were correspondingly dusky in hue; and that bright fish taken from waters of the former character and placed in those of the latter, 60 Book OF THE BLACK BASS. would begin to fade in a few hours, and in a few days or weeks would become entirely changed in hue. The great lake trout (Cristivomer namaycush) exists in three different states of color, according to situations in which it is found, and were thought by the French habi- tans of the great lakes to be three distinct fishes, known as truite de gréve, or trout of the muddy bottom; truite des battures, or trout of the rocky shores; and truite du large, or trout of the deep, open waters; the first being dull-colored, the second bright and handsomely mottled, and the last bluish and silvery. Charles Lanman truly observes, that the fish of streams rushing rapidly over pebbly beds, are superior both in ap- pearance and quality to those of ponds or semi-stagnant brooks. But this may arise, not so much from any par- ticular components of the waters themselves, as from the fact that rapidly running and falling water is more highly aerated, the atmosphere being more freely intermingled with it, and therefore more conducive to the health and condition of all that inhabit it. The influence of light in producing color in fishes is very evident when we reflect that fishes are always colored upon the back, which is exposed to the direct rays of light, and pale underneath, usually being quite white on the abdo- men. ‘This fact is especially pronounced in the flat fishes, which swim upon the side; thus the flounder, the sole, the turbot, the halibut, etc., are dark and variously colored upon the side presented to the light, while they are quite pale or white on the under side. Fishes which inhabit dark caves, owing to the absence of light, are entirely color- less. That the age of fish has much to do with their color is well known; a familiar example being the common gold- CoLORATION. 61 fish, which in early youth is black or dark colored, and only assumes its beautiful golden hue at maturity. During the breeding season of fishes their colors become much heightened, but they lose their brightness and _bril- liancy in many cases when the season is over. A salmon fresh-run from the sea is justly considered the most beauti- ful of fishes, but after the spawning season there is none more sorry and ill-looking. Darwin mentions some very interesting particulars, among which, that the pike, espe- cially the male, during the breeding season, exhibits colors exceedingly intense, brilliant and iridescent. Another striking instance out of many is afforded by the male stickleback, which is described by Mr. Warrington (England) as being then beautiful beyond description: “The back and eyes of the female, on the other hand, are the most splended green, having a metallic luster like the green feather of humming-birds. The throat and belly are of a bright crimson, the back of an ashy green, and the whole fish appears as though it was somewhat translucent, and glowed with an internal in- candescence. After the breeding season, these colors all change; the throat and belly become of a paler red, the back more green, and the glowing tints subside.” The well-known and beautiful spring, or breeding dresses, of many of our darters and minnows, are common illustrations of the influence of the breeding season upon the change of color in fishes. The coloration of the young of the small-mouth bass is light green, with golden reflections, and with numerous small dots or punctulations, which aggregate in small clus- ters, approaching somewhat the appearance of vertical bars. The iris is golden. The base of the caudal fin is yellowish, the tip whitish, and dark olivaceous or blackish in the middle. 62 Book OF THE BLACK Bass. In the young of the large-mouth bass the color is also greenish but darker, with a blackish band along the lateral line, and clusters of dark spots above and below. The iris is golden. 'The base and tip of the caudal fin is some- what paler than in the middle. Those who keep their fish alive in fish-cars or live-boxes, or by the more reprehensible practice of stringing the fish, will observe that however different in coloration fishes of the same species may appear when first caught, that after being subjected to the same conditions for a few hours they will all exhibit the same coloration. A familiar instance of the change of coloration due to environment, or change in the condition, character, depth or temperature of the water, or in the food, is seen in the Canadian sea-trout. This is merely the brook-trout that has become anadromous and runs to the sea. When it re- turns, in the spring or early summer, to the mouths of the streams, it is, like most marine fishes, of a bright, silvery appearance ; but after being in fresh water a short time it again takes on the characteristic colors and spots of the brook-trout. I have taken them in both their salt-water and fresh-water colors, and in a transition stage, in the Restigouche River, between Matapedia and Campbellton, New Brunswick. The external coloration of fishes depends on the pres- ence of variously-colored pigment-cells in one or both lay- ers of the skin. These pigment-cells are said to be under the influence or control of the nervous system, and are thus able to cause changes of color which may be rapid or temporary, or more or less permanent. In some fishes, as the black bass, the change in colora- tion is involuntary, and is, without much doubt, occasioned by an increase or decrease in the number of the different 3 ? 7 COLORATION. 63 pigment-cells, owing to the influences of light, depth of water, temperature, surroundings, ete. In some other fishes the change of coloration is much more rapid, and seems to depend on a contraction or ex- pansion of the pigment-cells already developed, and which are very sensitive to surrounding conditions, especially to light. Owing to this rapid change in the colors of certain fishes, when exposed to the light, they are thought by some to be endowed with the power of changing their colors at will, or voluntarily. This, however, is not very likely. 64 BooK OF THE BLACK BASS. CHAPTER V. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. “ You may remember that I told you, Gesner says there are no pikes in Spain; and doubtless, there was a time, about a hundred or a few more years ago, when there were no carps in England.”— IZAAK WALTON. THE black bass is wholly unknown in the Old World, except where recently introduced, and exists, naturally, only in North America. The original habitat of the genus is remarkable for its extent, for, with the exception of the New England states and the Atlantic seaboard of the middle states, it comprised the whole of the United States east of the Rocky Mountains, Ontario (Canada), and East Mexico. Of late years the range of the black bass has been ex- tended through the efforts of public-spirited individuals, and by the Fish Commissioners of various states, so that at the present time this noble fish may be said to have a “local habitation and a name” in every state of the Union. It has also been successfully introduced into England, Scotland and the Continent of Europe. Of the two species, the large-mouth bass had the widest distribution, occurring all through the vast scope of terri- tory as mentioned. The small-mouth bass had a somewhat limited range in comparison, not extending east or south beyond the Alleghany mountains, though occurring nearly everywhere else, except in the Gulf states, with the large- mouth species. The fact that the original habitat of the black bass did not embrace New England and the Pacific slope is not re- DISTRIBUTION. 65 markable, for the characteristically American forms of fishes are, generally speaking, rare or absent in the waters of those sections. This fact-was noticed by Louis Agassiz, who called New England “a zoological island,” on account of its faunal peculiarities as compared with the rest of the United States. Thus, of more than a hundred genera of fresh-water fishes now known to occur in the waters east of the Mississippi River, only about one-fourth occur in New England, and of these, all except a half-dozen genera are represented by but a single species each; and not more than thirty-five genera occur in the waters of the Pacific slope. Almost any stream of any extent of the Ohio or Mississippi basins will furnish double the number of genera and species as the entire waters of either of the above- named sections. Thus, as Dr. Jordan states, “In the little White River, at Indianapolis, seventy species, repre- senting forty-eight genera, are known to occur — twice as many as inhabit all the rivers of New England.” The distribution of the black bass does not seem to be much affected by geological formations, climatic influences, _ or the character of waters ; for although one or both species may have been absent originally in certain localities, they readily, adapt themselves to the waters of these sections when transplanted, and rapidly increase. Originally, both species were at home among the primor- dial rocks of the eozoic period of Lake Champlain, north- ern Wisconsin, and along the Appalachian chain in the Carolinas and northern Georgia. ‘They flourished amid the paleozoic rocks of the Great Lake region and the Mis- sissippi Valley, and in the coal measures of the Ohio, IIli- nois, and Missouri River basins; while in the marine tertiary formations of the cenozoic period, along the At- 5 66 Book OF THE BLACK Bass. lantic and Gulf slopes of the southern states, the large- mouth bass alone occurs. Thus, while the small-mouth bass seems to be restricted naturally to the older formations, the large-mouth bass roams at his own sweet will through the regions of metamorphic and stratified rocks and glacial drift, down to the recently formed coral rocks of the pe- ninsula of Florida. Climatic influences do not seem to affect the distribution of the large-mouth bass in any degree, in the United States, and of the small-mouth bass only to a small ex- tent. The original habitat of the species extended through twenty-five degrees of latitude and thirty degrees of longi- tude, the small-mouth bass alone not occurring in the ex- treme ten degrees of southern latitude, and the ten degrees of extreme western longitude of this range. Thus, while the small-mouth bass is naturally restricted to cold and temperate waters, the large-mouth bass bids defiance alike to the ice-bound streams of Canada, the tropical lagoons of east Mexico, and the sunny streams of southern Florida. He flashes his bright armor under the firs and birches of the St. Lawrence basin, and erects his spiny crest in the grateful shade of the palms and live oaks of the southern peinsula. To him it is given “To bathe in fiery floods, or to reside In thrilling regions of thick-ribbed ice.” The character of waters has but little influence upon the distribution of the species, less upon the large-mouth bass than upon his small-mouth congener. If the water is rea- sonably pure, both species will thrive in it; but, as has just been intimated, the small-mouth bass naturally seeks cooler and clearer waters. Thus, while he is found in the head- waters of certain rivers flowing into the Atlantic (notably DISTRIBUTION. 67 those of the Alleghany region of the Carolinas, Georgia, and Alabama), the large-mouth bass only occurs in the lower portions of the streams. There are several rivers in Hernando County, on the Gulf coast of Florida, that burst out from the base of a sandy ridge running parallel with the coast, and some twelve miles from it, whose sources are large springs, fifty or sixty feet deep, and of half an acre in extent. Their waters are remarkably clear and cool, with a strong current until tide-water is reached; and I have no doubt but the small-mouth bass would thrive won- derfully well in the upper portions of the streams if intro- duced into them, as the conditions all seem favorable, and the large-mouth bass is abundant in them. As we approach tide-water, the small-mouth bass dis- appears. The large-mouth bass, however, true to his cos- mopolitan nature, descends the streams to their mouths, where he seems to be as much at home in the brackish waters of the estuaries as in the pure and crystal rapids of the highlands. The black bass being in a manner omnivorous, is prob- ably not restricted in its range to any great extent by the supply of any one article of his food, though it would be affected, of course, by an abundance or scarcity of its food, as a whole. Crawfish and minnows are the principal food of adult black bass, and these are more or less plentiful throughout the waters of the United States. In addition to these, they feed upon insects, larve, frogs, etc. The greater prevalence of crawfish in clear, rocky streams, may throw some light upon the preference of small-mouth bass for such waters. The following account, by the late James W. Milner, of the U. S. Fish Commission, of the introduction of the black bass into new waters, will be found very interesting 68 Book OF THE BLACK Bass. and instructive, and is taken from the Report of the U. 8S. Fish Commissioner for the years 1872-73: “Among numerous records of their introduction, in very few instances discriminating properly between the two species, we give the following: In 1850, twenty-seven live bass were brought by Mr. Samuel Tisdale, of East Wareham, Mass., from Saratoga Lake and put into Flax Lake, near his home. In the years 1851 and 1852, others were brought to the number of two hundred and reared in ponds in the vicinity. The matter was kept quiet and fishing discouraged for five years, when the fish were found to have increased very rapidly. Some twenty-five ponds were stocked in the same county after Mr. Tisdale had initiated the experiment. Afterward, black bass from Mr. Tisdale’s ponds were supplied to a lake in New Hampshire in 1867, and to waters in Connecticut: and Massachusetts. In 1866 the Cuttyhunk Club, of Massachu- setts, introduced black bass into a pond in their grounds. In the year 1869 the Commissioners of the State, together with private parties, stocked several ponds and the Concord River with black bass, and in the following year other waters were stocked. “In Connecticut, in the winter of 1852-53, the black bass was introduced into Waramang Lake, in Litchfield county. They were brought from a small lake in Dutchess County, New York. A few years later they were said to have increased greatly. Another lake in the same county was stocked not long afterward. “ Salstonstall Lake, near New Haven; East Hampton Pond, in Chatham; Winsted Pond, in Winchester, and many ponds and lakes of the state, particularly in the northwest portion, were stocked with the black bass previous to the year 1867. “In the years 1869, 1870, 1871, and 1872, thirty-seven lakes and ponds in different parts of the state were supplied, with black bass. “As early as 1864 or 1865 black bass had been put into Rust’s Pond, near Wolfborough, New Hampshire; in 1868 a few were brought to Charlestown and Lakes Massabesic, Sunapee, Penna- cook, and Echo, and Enfield, Wilson’s and Cocheco Ponds were well stocked; in 1870 and 1871 the New Hampshire Commission- ers introduced the black bass from Lake Champlain into the waters of the state at Meredith, Canaan, Webster, Canterbury, DISTRIBUTION. 69 Harrisville, Munsonville, Hillsborough, Warner, Sutton, New London, Andover, Loudon, Concord, and in Croydon. In Massa- besic and Sunapee Lakes, where they had been introduced, in 1868 and 1869, they were found to have increased, and, on the authority of Dr. W. W. Fletcher, they have become exceedingly numerous in Sunapee Lake. “The Commissioners of the state of Rhode Island, since 1870, have stocked thirty ponds or small lakes in different parts of the state with the black bass. “In Maine, in the fall of 1869, the State Commissioners and the Oquossoe Angling Association introduced from Newburgh, New York, a quantity of black bass. The waters of Duck Pond, at Falmouth; Fitz Pond, in Dedham; Newport and Philips Ponds, Cochnewagan Pond, in Monmouth; Cobbosseecontee Lake, in Win- throp and adjoining towns, were stocked, and a few years after- ward were reported to have increased largely in numbers. “Since the year 1871, black bass [small-mouth] and Oswego bass [large-mouth] have been put into seventy lakes, ponds, or streams of the state of New York by the Commissioners. They had made their way of their own accord through the canals con- necting Lake Erie with the Hudson, into that stream. “ Private citizens of Pennsylvania introduced the black bass [small-mouth] into the Susquehanna about 1869, at Harrisburg. In 1873 the tributaries of the Susquehanna, the Potomac, and Delaware Rivers were supplied with black bass by the Commis- sioners at thirty-five different points. “In the year 1854, Mr. William Shriver, of Wheeling, Virginia, planted in the canal basin at Cumberland, Maryland, his former home, a number of the black bass [small-mouth]; from the basin they escaped into the Potomac River, where they have increased immensely at the present day. They were moved from the waters of the Ohio River to their new locality in the tank of a loco- motive. Numerous cases have also occurred of transfer from one locality in the southern states to another. “There have been very many transfers of these valuable species that have not been recorded, as they are easily kept alive while being moved from one place to another, and propagate surely and rapidly in ponds, lakes, and rivers. “These details are given because they show the facility with %0 Book OF THE BLACK Bass. which comparatively barren waters may be stocked to a con- siderable extent with good food-fishes, and they exhibit the general interest and attention that have been given to this mode of propagation.” In the account above given, reference is made to the stocking of the Potomac River with black bass by Gen- eral W. W. Shriver, of Wheeling, West Virginia. As this matter is often alluded to on account of the marvelous in- crease of the fish from so small a beginning — less than thirty bass having been originally transplanted — and as other parties have been accredited with the praiseworthy act who had nothing whatever to do with it, and whom I will not even mention here, it may not seem out of place to give the subject a little more space in this connection. The earliest reference to the matter, of ‘which I have any knowledge, is contained in a letter describing the hab- its of the black bass, written by Mr. John Eoff, of Wheel- ing, West Virginia, and published in the Report of the Smithsonian Institution for 1854, and is as follows: “ Mr. William Shriver, a gentleman of this place, and son of the late David Shriver, Esq., of Cumberland, Maryland, thinking the Potomac River admirably suited to the cultivation of the bass, has commenced the laudable undertaking of stocking that river with them; he has already taken, this last season, some twenty or more in a live-box, in the water-tank on the locomotive, and placed them in the canal basin at Cumberland, where we are in hopes they will expand and do well, and be a nucleus from which the stock will soon spread.” General Shriver, himself, in a letter to Philip T. Tyson, of Baltimore, Agricultural Chemist of Maryland, in Sep- tember, 1860, says: | ©* * * The enterprise or experiment was contemplated by me long before the completion of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad to the Ohio River at Wheeling, but no satisfactory mode of trans- DISTRIBUTION. 71 portation presented itself to my mind until after the completion of the great work (in, I believe, the year 1853), and in the fol- lowing year I made my first trip (although I made several after- wards in the same year), carrying with me my first lot of fish in a large tin bucket, perforated, and which I made to fit the opening in the water-tank attached to the locomotive, which was supplied with fresh water at the regular water stations along the line of the road, and thereby succeeded well in keeping the fish (which were young and small, having been selected for the purpose) alive, fresh, and sound. “This lot of fish, as well as every subsequent one, on my arrival at Cumberland, were put into the basin of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, from which they had free egress and ingress to the Potomac River and its tributaries, both above and below the “= ae a General Shriver also states in a subsequent letter to Dr. Asa Wall, of Winchester, Virginia, dated September 17, 1867: “The number of these black bass taken to the Potomac River by me, as well as I can now recollect, was about thirty. * * *” Mr. Edward Stabler, a well-known and reliable gentle- man of Maryland, in a letter to G. T. Hopkins, of the Board of Water Commissioners of Baltimore City, dated, “ Baltimore, 10th Mo., 28, ’65,” and published in the “ Baltimore Sun” during the same month, says: “After much delay and frequent disappointments and loss, from the lack of suitable transportation, I have succeeded in taking in the upper Potomac, and safely transporting to Baltimore, a fine lot of ‘black bass’ [small-mouth], with which to stock ‘Swan Lake,’ and also those in Druid Hill Park. “As a brief history of the introduction of this superior fish into _ the tributaries of the Chesapeake, and east of the Alleghanies — for they are, in my opinion, before the trout, both for sport and the table — may not be without interest to some, it may be stated that some thirteen years since, my son, A. G. Stabler, then a con- 72 Book OF THE BLACK Bass. ductor on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, in connection with two public-spirited gentlemen of Wheeling (Forsythe and Shriver), brought from Wheeling Creek, West Virginia, a small lot of bass in the water-tank of his tender. They were placed in the Potomac, near Cumberland, and from this stock, the Potomac, for more than two hundred miles, and all its large tributaries — the Seneca, Shenandoah, Cherry Creek, Sleepy Creek, Great and Little Caca- pon, Patterson’s Creek, South and North Branch, etc.— afford fine fishing. “They are, I know, from the Great Falls to a considerable distance west of Cumberland, for [I have recently so taken them, and often weighing from five to seven pounds — from four to five pounds is not unusual. * * *” The “ Baltimore American ” in June, 1874, in an article on Fish Culture, remarked incidentally : “Tt was twenty years ago, that Alban G. Stabler and J. P. Dukehart, together with Forsythe and Shriver, brought a small lot of black bass in the tender of a locomotive from Wheeling Creek, West Virginia, and put them in the Potomac. From this small beginning, sprang the noble race of fish which now swarm in the river.” It is certain from the above evidence, that General Shriver was the leading spirit in the enterprise, assisted, no doubt, by Mr. Forsythe, of Wheeling, and Mr. A. G. Stabler, of Baltimore. The latter gentleman, being the conductor of the train which carried the bass — and there is no evidence showing that more than one lot was taken — certainly had some share in the transaction; and if he was a “chip off the old block ”— for his father, above-men- tioned, was an enthusiastic angler — it would naturally be expected that he would have taken a lively interest in the affair. | The circumstance is one in which I have always felt the greatest interest, for it occurred at the time when I first DISTRIBUTION. Wf left my native city of Baltimore for a home in the west; and I have a distinct impression of the matter, made at the time of its occurrence, either from having heard it fre- quently spoken of, or from reading accounts of it in the public prints of the day; and my early impressions have always connected the name of Mr. Stabler, then a con- ductor of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company, with the praiseworthy act. | At all events, it excited my curiosity as to the black bass, which I had then never seen, and prompted me to seek the acquaintance of that grand game-fish, which I very soon afterward proceeded to do, in the Miami River, near Cincinnati. It is scarcely necessary to say that I have ever since been on terms of the closest intimacy with him, he having almost supplanted, in my affections, the love I once bore my former piscatorial friends, the striped bass, the blue-fish, and the white perch of the Chesapeake and the Patapsco; but I must confess to an occasional retro- spective weakness, and a kindly yearning for the old-time friends of my boyish days, not excepting the diminutive, but delicious “ gudgeon ” of the upper Patapsco and Her- ring Run. 74. Book OF THE BLACK BASS. CHAPTER VI. HABITS OF THE BLACK BASS. “* * * they mutually labor, both the spawner and the melter, — to cover their spawn with sand,— or, watch it,— or hide it in some secret place, unfrequented by vermin or by any fish but themselves.”— IzAAK WALTON. SPAWNING AND HATCHING. BLACK BAss are very prolific, the females yielding fully one-fourth of their weight in spawn, or from two thou- sand to twenty thousand eggs, according to age and weight. The eggs are of the adhesive or glutinous class, and can not be manipulated in the same way as those of the salmon, trout, or shad (which latter are non-adhesive and sepa- rate) by the fish culturist. The eggs are inclosed or en- veloped in a glutinous matter of an adhesive character, which sinks at once to the bottom of the nest and become glued to the pebbles, rocks, sticks, ete. The period of spawing extends from early spring to mid- summer, according to the section of country, and tempera- ture of the water, and without regard to species; in the southern states occurring as early as March, and in the northern states and Canada, from the middle of May until the middle of July, always earlier in very shallow waters, and somewhat later in those of greater depth. In Waukesha County, Wisconsin, I observed a difference of from one to four weeks in the time of spawning, in the numerous lakes of that locality, owing to the difference in temperature of said lakes, caused by their varying depths. The bass leave their winter quarters in deep water about ae | SPAWNING. 75 a month or six weeks previous to the spawning season, at which times they can be seen running up streams and in the shallow portions of lakes, in great numbers. Soon afterward, the males and females pair off and prepare for breeding. Owing, seemingly, to a semi-migratory habit, and where the conditions are not favorable for them to ascend the inlets of lakes, they will descend outlet streams if the lake does not furnish suitable spawning grounds. They select favorable spots for their nests, usually upon a gravelly or sandy bottom, or on rocky ledges, in water from eighteen inches to three feet deep in rivers, and from two to six feet deep in lakes and ponds, and, if possible, ad- jacent to deep water, or patches of aquatic plants, to which the parent fish retire if disturbed. The nests are circular, saucer-like depressions, varying from one to three feet (usually about twice the length of the fish) in diameter, which are formed by the male fish, usually, by fanning and scouring from the pebbles all sand, silt, and vegetable debris, by means of their tails and fins, and by removing larger obstacles with their mouths. This gives to the beds a bright, clean, and white appearance, which in clear water can be seen at a distance of several score yards. I have seen hundreds of such nests, in groups, almost touching each other, in the clear-water lakes of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota. Sometimes the nests are formed upon a muddy bottom, with a pavement or foundation of small sticks and leaves, from which the mud and slime have been washed and scoured; and especially is this the case with the large- mouth bass, which will also make its nest upon the roots of water plants. The females deposit their eggs on the bottom of the nests, usually in rows, which are fecundated by the male 76 Book OF THE BLACK Bass. and become glued to the pebbles or sticks contained therein. The eggs are hatched in from one to two weeks depend- ing on the temperature of the water, but usually in from eight to ten days. When hatched, the young bass are almost perfectly formed, from one-fourth to one-half of an inch in length, and cover the entire bed, where they can be easily detected by their constant motion. After hatching, the young fry. remain over the bed from two to seven days, usually three or four, when they retire into deep water, or take refuge in the weeds, or under stones, logs, and other hiding- places. During the period of incubation the nests are carefully guarded by the parent fish, usually by the males, who re- main over them, and by a constant motion of the fins, create a current which aerates the eggs and keeps them free from all sediment and debris. After the eggs are hatched, and while the young remain on the nests, the vigilance of the parent fish becomes increased and un- ceasing, and all suspicious and predatory intruders are driven away. Their anxiety and solicitude for their eggs and young, and their apparent disregard of their own safety at this time, is well-known to poachers and pot-fishers, who take advantage of this trait and spear or gig them on their nests. They also take them with the minnow or crawfish. Of course the bass do not “bite” at this season, volun- tarily, but when the bait is persistently held under their noses, they at first endeavor to drive it away or remove it from the nests, and finally, I think, swallow it in sheer desperation. Major Isaac Arnold, Jr., while in command of the Arsenal, at Indianapolis, Indiana, prepared a small pond in SPAWNING. a7 the grounds and stocked it with small-mouth bass from White River and Fall Creek. For several years he had the opportunity of closely observing the fish during the breed- ing season, and records the following interesting data :* “IT placed the bass in the pond for the sole purpose of noticing them during the breeding season, but the water in the pond was so crowded with a growth of alge that my observations have not been satisfactory. I think the female prepares the spawning - ground or bed, after which the male joins her. Whilst the female is preparing the bed the males fight with each other for posses- sion. * * * The male presses the roe from the female by a series of bites or pressures along her belly with his mouth, the female lying upon her side during the operation. The male ejects the milt upon or over the roe from time to time, and the spawn- ing process lasts for two or three days. When the spawning is over, the male disappears from the scene, and the female remains upon the nest extremely pugnacious, allowing nothing to approach until the eggs have hatched and the young fry are a week or ten days old. The young fish commence at once to prey upon each other and continue until they are two or three weeks old, when cannibalism ceases and there is no more danger from that source.” This accords, in the main, with my own observations, though I have never observed the male biting or pressing the abdomen of the female with his mouth; this feature, however, has been confirmed by Mr. Geo. C. Rixford, of Rixford, Florida, who observed the occurrence in that state. It would seem, then, that this proceeding is not uncommon to both species, as Major Arnold’s observations were con- fined to the small-mouth, and those of Mr. Rixford to the large-mouth bass. I have often seen the female alone, and sometimes the male, and sometimes both together, spinning rapidly * Successful Propagation of Black Bass. By Major Isaae Ar- nold, Jr., U.S. A. < Bulletin U. 8S. Fish Commission, 11, 1882. "8 Book OF THE BLAcK Bass. around the nest, upon their sides, ejecting the eggs or milt, which sank at once to the bottom. When the fish were in pairs, the edges of their bellies would be toward each other, sometimes in contact, as they circled around quite close to the bottom, with jerky, tremulous motions; but I never saw the male pressing the spawn from the female with his mouth. I record the following interesting item for the benefit of future observers. My own opinion is that such nests are constructed in lakes of considerable depth, with steep shores, where suitable bottom in shallow water can not be found, and the bass resort to this expedient for the pur- pose of bringing the eggs within the proper distance of the surface in order to obtain light and air. ‘“‘ Homo,” of Philadelphia, thus writes to “ Forest and Stream :” * While in Grand Rapids, Mich., during my late vacation, I was informed by Dr. Parker, of the State Fish Commission, and a Mr. Hill, of that city, of a new feature in the habits of the black bass during spawning time, which had come under the notice of those gentlemen. It was that of the nest building of these fish within two or three feet of the surface in ten and fifteen feet of water. Mr. Hill told me he had frequently observed, at the head of some lakes and ponds in Michigan, a collection of ring moss and other vegetable matter, placed with apparent design on the top of brush heaps which rested on the bottom of the lake and extended nearly to the surface of the water. Not knowing what they were, he made a critical examination and found them always guarded by the bass which had constructed the nest in the same manner in which they protect their ordinary nests made in the bed of the stream or pond. In many eases the nests would be three or four feet in diameter and larger than the top of the brush pile on which they rested. This habit of the bass I have never heard of before, and both Mr. Hill and Dr. Parker confessed they had never seen an account of it published. It may be some of your cor- respondents know of it and can give further light on the subject. May it not be that some peculiar character of the bed of these SPAWNING. vas) bodies of water, where the nests are found, renders it impossible for the spawn of the fish which inhabit them to properly develop if deposited there, and the nest building is resorted to to aid in a better or more speedy hatching of the eggs? Perhaps more sun- light is wanted. I am at a loss to give a better explanation of the matter.” The U. 8S. Bureau of Fisheries and the Fish Commis- sions of several states have been experimenting for some years in the pond culture of black bass; in most instances by furnishing artificial nests of various kinds, in which the bass spawn. When the fry rise from the nests they are in- closed by screens or netting and subsequently removed to nursery ponds. This plan has not yet been attended by extraordinary success. The most practical way, so far, is to stock new waters with the parent fish and allow them to breed naturally. It is to be hoped, in view of the great demand for small black bass for stocking purposes, that the artificial plan mentioned, or some other, may be crowned with complete success. About 1868 to 1870, while residing in Wisconsin, I ex- perimented with the natural propagation of the black bass, by placing a number of adult fish of both species in a pond on my home grounds, which I connected with a lake by a roomy ditch. From blinds of bushes on the banks I watched, faithfully, the nesting and spawning of the fish for several seasons. A few days after the fry left the nests the parent fish were driven out of the pond and through the ditch into the lake. Suitable screens were then placed in the ditch and the young bass were kept until late in the autumn, when they too were turned into the lake. I[ reared many thousands each season in this way, which was but a slight modification of nature’s plan. 80 ‘ Book OF THE BLAcK Bass. Foop AND GROWTH. After the young bass leave the spawning beds their food at first consists of minute crustaceans; and later of insect larve ; as they grow older and larger they devour worms, tadpoles, small fish, ete.; and, in later life, they vary their diet with crawfish, frogs, mussels, and minnows, until, at- taining a weight of two pounds, they will bolt any thing from an angle-worm to a young musk-rat. Dr. 8. A. Forbes, of the Illinois State Laboratory of Natural History, was engaged, for a number of years, in the study of the food of fishes and birds. His examinations have been of the most careful and painstaking character. The following results have been attained in reference to the food of the black bass species.* Of the large-mouth black bass he examined the food of fourteen adults and seventeen young of different ages. The first group, consisting of five specimens under one inch in length, taken in June, July, and August of different years, showed that the entire food consisted of minute crustacea, all Hntomostraca, except in the case of a single fish, which showed seven per cent. of a very young amphipod. Six specimens, from one and a fourth inches to one and a half inches long had eaten minute fishes (twenty-nine per cent.) and insects (forty-six per cent.), the crustacea drop- ping to twenty-five per cent. The fishes eaten were not large enough to determine the species. 'T'wo specimens be- tween two and three inches long had eaten only insects. Four specimens varying from three to three and one-half inches in length had eaten nothing but insects and their larve. In the fourteen adults the food consisted of seven. * The Food of Fishes. By S. A. Forbes. < Bulletin 11, Ills. State Lab. Nat. Hist., 18, 1880. y A 7 Foop AND GROWTH. 81 per cent. of crawfishes, a few insects, and eighty-six per cent. of small fishes. In regard to the small-mouth bass, Dr. Forbes says: “JT have made full notes of the food of twenty-seven specimens — three adult and the others young. I had none of these species under an inch in length, but, judging from the general resem- blance of the food of this and the preceding bass at later ages, I do not doubt that this will also be found to feed at first on Entomostraca, although insect food is possibly more important to it from the beginning.” Seven small-mouth bass, from one to two inches in length, had eaten only five per cent. of Entomostraca, the remainder of the food consisting of insects and their larve. Ten specimens, between two and three inches long, showed, in addition to the insect food, five per cent. of fishes, and in those ranging from three to four inches in length the amount of fish food increased to fourteen per cent., the in- sect food dropped to seven per cent., with seventy-nine per cent. of crustacea. The three adults had eaten thirty-eight per cent. of fishes and sixty-two per cent. of crawfishes. Some allowance should be made for the character of the different waters in which the specimens were collected, as Entomostraca and other minute crustacea are more abund- ant in still water, while the larve of certain insects are more plentiful under the stones of rapid streams. Where food is plentiful the young grow rapidly, reach- ing a length of two inches in a few months after hatching, and at a year old, will measure, at least, four inches. At two years of age, they will be found from eight to twelve inches in length, weighing about a pound, and will grow nearly or quite a pound a year thereafter, until they attain their maximum weight. They arrive at maturity in from two to three years, ac- 6 82 Book OF THE BLACK Bass. cording as to whether the conditions for their growth were favorable or otherwise. The maximum weight of the small- mouth form of the north and west may be said to be four or five pounds, and of the large-mouth form, from six to eight pounds, though there are rare exceptions to this rule. In the warm waters of the southern states, which pre- serve a more equable temperature than those of the north- ern states, the large-mouth black bass grow to an immense size, their maximum weight, in Florida, being from twelve to fifteen pounds. In northern waters they do not grow nearly so large, six to eight pounds being the limit. Under conditions and circumstances favorable to their growth they will in- crease in weight, as before stated, about a pound a year; but under adverse circumstances or unfavorable conditions their growth is much slower; therefore, no rule of general application can be established from any single instance, or as the result of any exclusively local test or experiment. The growth of black bass is affected not only by the supply of food and temperature of water, but also by the extent of range. Bass in small ponds do not thrive so well, nor grow so fast; the smaller the extent of their range, the slower will be their growth, and, indeed, this is true of any other fish; for it is well known that fish con- fined in aquaria, in springs or wells, grow so very slowly, that their increase in size is hardly appreciable from year to year, even though their supply of food be abundant. An equally well-attested fact is, that the largest bass are found in the largest bodies of water, or where the range is extensive; extreme depth of water seeming to be more favorable to their growth than mere extent of sur- face. For example, I know of several shallow lakes in Wisconsin, where the bass seldom grow to exceed two Foop AND GROWTH. 83 pounds, while in deeper lakes in the same vicinity they attain the usual maximum weight of four or five pounds ; and in Green Lake, a large and deep lake near Ripon, in the same state, I once caught a string of thirty black bass, mostly of the large-mouth species, weighing from four to eight pounds each, and fully averaging six pounds. An instance, showing the rapid growth of black bass, is related by Mr. Charles J. Pearson, at that time Fish Warden for Morris County, New Jersey: He states that in the fall of 1876, fifty black bass, measuring from two and a half to four inches in length, were placed in D. L. Miller’s pond at Madison, Morris County, New Jersey. On October 17th, 1877, about one year from the time of put- ting them in, Mr. Miller had occasion to draw the water down, for some repairs. He had the flume so arranged as to take any fish that might run out. Eleven bass were caught. They measured from ten to thirteen inches in length, and were undoubtedly the same fish which were put in the year before, as none of this species of fish were ever known in the pond before. There is not an absolute uniformity of growth in fishes, any more than in other creatures; thus, some fish will out- grow others of the same hatching until double their size, a fact made very apparent in the artificial culture of brook trout, salmon, ete.; but black bass will grow with wonder- ful rapidity where an equable temperature of water and an abundance of food obtain. As an instance of the influence of an abundant supply of food upon the growth of black bass, A. N. Cheney, of Glens Falls, New York, related to me the following circumstance, and presented me with a fine photograph of the two fish alluded to: “T send you a photograph of two large-mouth bass caught by myself. They are, or, rather, one of them is, the largest bass 84 Book OF THE BLACK Bass. ever caught in any waters about here, weighing seven pounds and fourteen ounces, and the other six and a quarter pounds. The most remarkable fact is, perhaps, the effect of food upon the growth of fish. The two fish in question were caught in Long Pond, near here, August 1, 1877. Long Pond was stocked with six small bass from Lake George, New York, in 1866, they having been put into a stream emptying into the pond by some gentlemen, who, on their way from camping a week at Lake George, had to cross this stream to reach home; and the putting the fish into the stream was suggested by their catching a number of small bass during the last day in camp. “The fact of their deposit was almost forgotten, when, in 1874-75, quantities of bass were discovered in the pond, which had hitherto been inhabited by pickerel, perch, and quantities of bait fish, minnows, silver and gold shiners, ete. While Lake George - has never been known to yield a bass over six and a half pounds, Long Pond has turned out at least a dozen over that weight.” Upon a careful examination of the photograph, the fish mentioned were found to be, not large-mouth, but small- mouth bass without any doubt, and were extraordinary examples of that species, the usual maximum weight of which is about five pounds. Afterward Mr. Cheney re- corded the capture of several more of these small-mouth giants from the same waters (Long Pond, or Glen Lake). One of them, taken by a Mr. Reed, was seen and weighed by Mr. Cheney, who gave its proportions as follows: weight, eight and one-quarter pounds; length, from end of snout, to fork of tail-fin, twenty-two and one-half inches; girth, eighteen and one-half inches. Mr. Fred Mather saw this fish and pronounced it a small-mouth bass. The other and larger fish was captured in the same waters by a Mr. Boynton. Mr. Cheney weighed and measured it and gave its weight as eight pounds and ten ounces, its extreme length as twenty-five inches, and its girth eighteen and three-fourth inches. | i : Foop AND GROWTH. 85 Following this several more immense small-mouth bass were taken from the same waters and recorded by Mr. Cheney, who tabulated them as follows: Captor. Weight. Length. Girth. SHEMEY S50. ens 81% lbs. 22 in, 181% in. eee ie ai arn 22 2) 814 lbs. 221% in. 18% in. Boytiton:*.. 0... S-. Ibs: 1002, + 2a. im. 18% in. CCG Ss ene § ths: ie2, / 2304 in. AO. in. La. OL. eg ae a i}: Tes: 2514 in. 19. Ins Sy aL ae eae 11% lbs. AS ae cs o) “in; Mr. Cheney commenting on the above said: “T weighed and measured Reed’s, Boynton’s, Parker’s and my own fish; the other figures were given to me by the people who caught the fish and confirmed by witnesses.” In preparing tables of exact measurements of the two species, as also tables showing the relative weight as to length, I found so much discrepancy in these respects in the same species from different localities, and even in fish from the same section, owing to slight variations of shape and conformation, that I concluded they would not sub- serve the purposes of a general guide, and so omitted them. This reason is very apparent as exemplified in the follow- ing list of fish from contiguous waters. The “ Toronto Star” offered a prize of a fifteen-dollar rod to the angler taking the largest small-mouth bass in the province of Ontario, Canada, during the summer of 1903, the competition to close on September 15th. The fish entered for the prize, and which were all from lakes, except the last. a stream fish, were as follows: Length. Girth. Weight. a a. Wt 7 Ibs. Sh) in; Lee 2 6 lbs. 4 oz. 22% in. 15% in. 6 lbs. % oz, 86 Book OF THE BLAcK Bass. Length. Girth. Weight. 20° “in: 14 oan; 6 lbs. 22° in. ii 10: 5 lbs. 14 oz. 191% in. 1G" ine 5 Ibs. 9 oz. 22% in. 141% in. 5 lbs. 8 oz. oT “an. 141% in. 5 lbs. 8 oz. 20 An. i meg 5 ibs. 28.07. Zl same 18 -in. 5 lbs. 714 02. 21% in. - 151% in. 5 lbs. 7 oz. 22 ‘in 16% in. o: Iba: S02 20% in. 5 Ibs. 3 072. 195 in. 14% in. 5 Gs. — 3 8z. 20 = in. 15<, an: 5 lbs. 2014 in. 131% in. 4 lbs. 14 oz. 19% in. 14° in. 4. Ibs." 13.02; Zl. aan: 141% in. 4 lbs. 12 oz. 181% in. 12% in. 4 lbs. 12 oz. 211% in. 14% in. 4 lbs. 9 oz. 2114 in. 16./% ans 4 Ibs. 8 oz. 20 in. iS: a. 4 lbs. 4 oz. 201% in. 14% in. 4 Ibs. 2 oz. 181% in. 3 lbs; 00g, Mr. H. W. Ross, when in Florida, caught, in a “ clear, deep, lily-bound lake,” near Altoona, in that-state, a large- mouth black bass which, he stated, weighed twenty-three and one-eighth pounds, and measured, from tip of nose to tip of tail, thirty-seven and one-half inches, and in girth, twenty-nine and one-half inches. The head of this fish was sent to the office of “ Forest and Stream,” in New York, and its dimensions were given by the editor as follows: “Its maxillary bone measures four and three-fourths inches; the head is seven and one-half inches from the tip of the upper jaw to the end of the opercle, and the lower jaw projects one inch. The greatest girth of the head is sixteen and one-half inches.” HIBERNATION. 87 I have taken the large-mouth bass in Florida up to fourteen pounds on the artificial fly, and as heavy as twenty pounds with bait. It is obvious: that where the large- mouth black bass does not hibernate, as in Florida, and is active all the year and constantly feeding, its size and weight will be much greater than in northern waters. HIBERNATION. Black bass undoubtedly hibernate, except in the extreme southern and south-western states; but in the colder climate of the north and west it has been proven in numerous instances that they bury themselves in the mud, in the crevices of rocks under masses of weeds or sunken logs, in-the deepest water, and remain dormant until spring. This habit has been doubted by some, inasmuch as an occasional bass has been caught through the ice, though such instances are rare indeed, and all those of which I have any knowledge occurred late in the winter, or early in the spring. As one swallow does not make a summer, these unusual cases must be considered as merely excep- tions to the general rule. During a residence of ten years in Wisconsin, where fishing through the ice was constantly practiced during the winter, and where tons of pickerel, pike-perch and yel- low-perch were so taken in a single season, I never knew of a single black bass being taken in that manner except very late in the winter, or in early spring, say in March, just before the breaking up of the ice; and even those in- stances were of rare occurrence, and happened only during unusually mild weather; and these same waters, be it remembered, afforded the finest black bass fishing during the summer and fall. §8 Book OF THE BuAck BAss. Dr. D. C. Estes, of Lake City, Minnesota, an accom- plished angler and naturalist, records a similar experience in regard to Lake Pepin; he says: “The pike and pickerel are the only fish taken here in the winter. It is strange to many what becomes of the countless numbers of other game fish that throng these waters in the sum- mer season. Bass, which are so numerous then, are never seen in winter. I am quite sure that not a single bass was ever caught here through the ice. I have for years tried all depths of water to raise one, or to discover one, but have thus far failed. I must believe, then, that they hibernate.” Genio C. Scott, in “ Fishing in American Waters,” quotes an intelligent and veteran black bass angler of central New York, in regard to this habit, and who fur- nishes the following conclusive evidence: “T have never known them [black bass] to be taken in winter, and I think they seek a particular location and remain torpid during winter. My attention was directed to this fact about thirty years since. At that time I was in the haibt of spearing fish in a mill-dam on the outlet of Seneca Lake, at Waterloo, Seneca County, New York. From April to November I found numbers of bass; from December to March I found all other varieties, but no bass. “In the winter of 1837, the water was shut off at the lake for the purpose of deepening the channel to improve the navigation. This was considered a favorable time to quarry the limestone in the bed of the river; and upon moving the loose rock in the above- named mill-dam, where the ledges cropped out, there were found hundreds of bass imbedded in their slime, and positively packed together in the crevices and fissures of the rocks. My subse- quent experience has done much to convince me that my theory is correct.” On this point, A. N. Cheney related to me the follow- ing incidents: “A few years ago a man, Seth Whipple, living on the Hudson River, near Glens Falls, in drawing some sunken logs from the SY SOAS EL FOOLED AA + HIBERNATION. 89 river, during the winter, for firewood, found in the hollow of one of the logs, six black bass (small-mouth), weighing from a half to two pounds; they were nearly dormant. “The father of Pension Commissioner Bentley. who lives at Glens Falls, and has some trout ponds on his place, to gratify a boy bought of him a black bass, and placed the fish in a spring. When autumn came the fish was missing, and was supposed to be stolen. During the succeeding winter the spring partly dried up, and to restore the water supply the spring was dug deeper. Dur- ing the operation it was found necessary to remove an old stump in the side of the spring, when to his surprise the bass was found underneath the stump, in a hole, evidently prepared for winter burrow.” Mr. John Eoff, of Wheeling, West Virginia, a remark- ably close observer, says, in the “ Report of the Smith- sonian Institution,” for 1854: “In the winter season they retire to deep and still water, and apparently hide under rocks, logs, etc., and remain there until the first of April.” I could multiply evidence on this point, if necessary, but these several opinions, founded upon observations made in the widely separated states of Wisconsin and Minnesota in the west, New York in the north, and West Virginia in the middle section of our country must suffice. That black bass do not hibernate in the extreme south, is well known; and to this circumstance, may be attributed, in a measure, their larger growth. Still, it is not unreason- able to suppose, that the black bass of that section have a period of repose and seclusion, analogous to hibernation, at some other season of the year, possibly during the fervid heat of the summer solstice; for it is usual for the bass of the north and west to cease biting and retire to the deepest water during an unusually heated term in summer. The fact that the best season for black bass fishing varies 90 Book OF THE BLAcK BaAss. in different sections —in the north being from July till October; in the west and most northerly of the southern states in the spring and fall; and in the extreme south during the winter season — would naturally lead one to suppose that the period of dormancy in the black bass oc- curs at different seasons in different localities, and is in- fluenced by climatic conditions, or the supply of food. But, notwithstanding the evidence heretofore adduced in support of this fact, the occasional catching of a black bass during the winter season, in the north and west, is sometimes heralded as a proof that former observers have been mistaken, and that these fishes, or at least the large- mouth bass, do not hibernate. Perhaps the term hibernation is not well understood, which may account for this hasty and erroneous conclu- sion. Hibernation does not necessarily imply, as supposed by some, a state of complete torpidity or profound sleep during the entire winter. ‘To hibernate, according to Webster, is “ to pass the season of winter in close quarters, or in seclusion ;” and that is just what the black bass of both species do, in northern and western waters, as every one who has given the subject any intelligent investiga- tion is prepared to admit. When the temperature falls as low as 50°, the bass of running streams retire to the deepest holes, in the neigh- borhood of shelving rocks, if possible, under which they seclude themselves and remain in a listless condition. So also, in lakes or ponds, they leave their accustomed haunts, and retire to the deepest places, near bottom springs, masses of weeds, moss, ete. After a few days of warm or mild weather, especially if the temperature goes above 50°, they will venture out into water of somewhat less depth, when they may be induced to take a bait in a half-hearted HIBERNATION. 91 manner, while the mild weather lasts; but, on the approach of a cold snap they again retire to the deepest water. When the temperature rises above 50°— say to 55°— and does not fall below again, they leave their winter quarters for that season. From personal observation I am pretty familiar with the habits of both species of black bass, at all seasons of the year, in all sections, except in the New England states, and I am convinced that, with the exception of those in the Gulf states, both species of black bass hibernate in a greater or less degree, according to the temperature of the waters. The small-mouth bass of western Lake Erie hibernate under the ledges and cavernous reefs about the Bass Islands. In the spring, after the first fine weather in April or May, when emerging from their winter quarters, they linger on the reefs and bite ravenously for a week or two, or may be two or three weeks, until the weather be- comes still warmer, when they cease biting suddenly and depart toward their spawning grounds, wherever that may be, for they certainly do not spawn in the deep water on the reefs. After the cold northeast storms in September they again congregate on the reefs, preparatory to going into winter quarters, and bite until cold weather sets in, when they disappear under the ledges and reefs. A few stragglers, however, remain during the summer and spawn in the coves about the islands, but the main army seek other grounds more suitable for procreation, and where the food for the young bass is more plentiful. 92 Book OF THE BLACK Bass. CHAPTER VII. INTELLIGENCE AND SPECIAL SENSES. Venator. But, master! do not trouts see us, in the night? Piscator. Yes; and hear, and smell, too, both then and in the day-time.— IzAak WALTON. Tue brain of fishes differs so materially in size, con- formation, substance and analogy from that of other ani- mals, that it has been the rule of specialists to attribute to this class of vertebrates a very low order of intelligence. In opposition to this theory, however, Dr. Francis Day, in a paper read before the Linnean Society of London, Eng- land, endeavored to show that fishes possessed a far higher order of intelligence than is usually accorded them. He claimed that the experience of himself and others indicated that they possessed emotions and affections, and in support of that view he showed that they constructed nests, transported and defended their eggs, protected their young, manifested their affections for each other, recog- nized human beings, could be tamed, exhibited the emo- tions of fear, anger, and revenge, uttered sounds, hid from danger, sought protection by attaching themselves to the bodies of other animals, and had peculiar modes of de- fense; that they left the water in search of food, and that they sometimes combined for attack and defense. Every observant angler and naturalist has, in his own experience, proved the truth of many of the above asser- tions, and, no doubt, some have observed traits of intelli- gence still more convincing. The wonderful faculty of anadromous fishes, seeking out and ascending their native streams during the breeding / SENSE OF SIGHT. 93 season, even after being purposely carried hundreds of miles away, has commanded the admiration of biologists, yet they can see nothing in the small and jelly-lke brain of the fish to account for the marvelous habit, but instinct ; on the same principle, perhaps, that Coleridge accounts for the blindness of Love: ** His eyes are in his mind.” SENSE OF SIGHT. As the optic nerves of fishes show an extraordinary de- velopment, we must naturally conclude that they are as sharp-sighted in their element as we in ours. This, I think, no experienced fly-fisher will deny; yet it is the fashion for biologists to accord to fishes only a moderate visual capacity, as compared with land animals. But good, simple old Izaak Walton was much nearer the truth when he said: “A trout that is more sharp-sighted than any hawk you have named, and more watchful and timorous than your high-mettled merlin is bold.” “Tn the range of their vision and acuteness of sight,” says Dr. Giinther, “ fishes are very inferior to the higher classes of vertebrates; yet, at the same time, it is evident that they perceive their prey or approaching danger from a considerable distance.” We are led to believe, from the investigations of anato- mists, that the organs of special sense in fishes are very imperfectly developed; I am constrained to believe, how- ever, from the observations of myself and many others, that fishes have the senses of sight, hearing, and smell developed in a much greater degree than is generally supposed. The diversities in form and position of the eyes of 94. Book OF THE BLACK Bass. different fishes, prove that they are of the greatest use to them, in procuring food, and in escaping from their enemies; and are placed “ where they will do the most good.” : In the majority of fishes, which are constantly moving about, and frequent alike the surface and bottom of streams, the eyes are placed in the usual position of most other animals, one on each side of the head. In those which stay more constantly in the lower depth of waters, the eyes are placed on top of the head, as in the star-gazers ; while in the flat fishes, which recline or swim on one side near the bottom, both eyes are placed on the same side of the head, enabling them to obtain the benefit of both eyes while in that position. In the pike-perch, which is noctur- nal in its habits, the eves are unusually large, as is the case with other animals who seek their food mostly at night. It is a popular idea that fish are necessarily near-sighted on account of the conformation of the eye, which is large, round and prominent; and the main argument adduced to support this theory, is the readiness with which they will take an artificial fly, trolling spoon or other artificial bait, which resemble in but slight degree the natural objects of food that they are intended to represent, if, indeed, they are intended to represent any thing. It is often the case that those anglers who are most strenuous in their theory that fish are near-sighted, stultify themselves by carrying a large and most varied assortment of artificial flies, of all shapes and colors, in order to meet the “ fastidious taste” of the fish, that often refuse one pattern or color, and rise eagerly to another, which could not be the fact were they so near-sighted as they believe. The consistency of these anglers would be more apparent, if they would adopt Mr. Cholmondely Pennell’s theory of SENSE OF SIGHT. 95 artificial files, and confine themselves exclusively to his three typical flies -— brown, yellow, and green hackles. Now, I am not of those who believe that our brave game-fishes possess such extreme gullibility, as to mistake an artificial lure for the genuine article, upon the hypothe- sis of near-sightedness. My opinion, founded upon nu- merous experiments, is, that fishes see and hear as well, in and through the medium of the water, for all practical purposes, as the angler does through the medium of the atmosphere; the clearer and more rarified the medium, the clearer and greater the range of vision in both in- stances. In muddy or turbid waters the sight of fishes is neces- sarily limited, as ours would be in hazy or foggy weather. It is neither fair nor logical to presume that fishes, in water, ought to discern objects in the atmosphere above, any clearer or plainer than we can perceive objects in the water, while standing on the brink. We are altogether too prone to judge evenything from our own standpoint, and to attribute to our own clever- ness results that in all probability depend upon other and extraneous circumstances. Who, of us, could tell a skillfully tied artificial fly from a real one, beneath the water, when its surface was ruffled by a brisk breeze, shadowed by drift- ing clouds, covered with the froth and suds of an eddy, or surmounted by the foam and bubbles of a rapid? Yet, there are those who contend, because fish fail to detect this difference through the same obstacles to clear vision, that they are of a verity near-sighted, and easily fooled by the very poorest semblance of a fly or feathery nondescript ; but let one of these persons try a cast of the best flies upon a bright, still day, when the water is per- fectly clear and the surface like a mirror, and if he expects 96 Book OF THE BLACK Bass. to get a rise under such conditions, he himself must be very near-sighted indeed. On the other hand, any one who has seen a black bass dart like an arrow and seize a minnow swimming quietly thirty feet away, or a brook trout flash like a meteor for a dragon fly hovering near the water at the same distance, must admit that their visual powers are sufficient for all practical purposes. It is quite amusing to hear an angler expatiate learnedly on the dimness of sight and dullness of hearing in fishes, and in the next breath caution the tyro to have his cloth- ing conform as nearly as possible with the hues of the foliage skirting the stream; to keep out of sight, tread lightly, and make as little noise as possible; and to assure him, that, even then, the chances are that the fish will see the novice before he sees: the fish. It is a curious contradiction of theory and practice, a fishy illustration of the abstract and concrete. The expla- nation I conceive to be this: our Piscator would be con- sidered a scientific angler, which, in his case, becomes a contradiction of terms; for while blindly holding to the opinions of some closet naturalist, he is practically follow- ing the dictates of his own experience and common sense. Now, it is possible to be scientific and an angler, too, but our science, like our angling, must be practical, and must of necessity be learned by close observation and study of the habits of the fishes as they exist in nature, and not alone from the study of the physical construction of a preserved specimen. | I am well aware that many scientists consider fish myopic, or near-sighted; not, however, on account of ex- cessive convexity of the cornea, as is popularly supposed, for it is an exploded theory in medical science that myopia oun SENSE OF SIGHT. 97 depends necessarily upon this condition; indeed, in fishes the cornea is almost flat, while in birds of prey, which have a very extended range of vision, the cornea is quite convex. From the lack of analogy, from the great difference in construction of the ocular and auditory apparatuses of fishes and terrestrial animals, and from the wide difference in the properties of the media of air and water, I am con- vinced that the organs of the special senses of sight and hearing in fishes are not well understood at the present day; and I am confident that future investigations will prove them to be possessed of much greater acuteness of vision and hearing, than is now accorded them. Most fresh-water fishes, during the breeding season, take on a more pronounced coloration, the males especially be- coming sometimes quite gorgeous in their nuptial dress. If fishes are so defective in sight as not to distinguish color, why this well-known periodical change in their appearance ? It is a well-known fact that fishes are attracted by any gay, bright, or glittering substance, as a finger-ring, a sleeve-button, or a coin, and have deliberately swallowed them when dropped in the water. I have caught brook trout with wintergreen and partridge berries, the bright scarlet color seeming to allure them, and I have even eaught them with a naked bright fish-hook; but all this does not prove that they were the victims of a myopic mistake, or that in their near-sightedness they mistook these various articles for something else; neither does it prove that a black bass will grab at a trolling spoon, a bluefish snap at a bone squid, or a spanish mackerel seize a metal © or pearl troll under the delusion that they are really choice shiners, or delicate piscatorial tidbits. A camel, it is said, will bolt all sorts of substances, as i 98 Book oF THE Buack Bass. metal, glass, stones, leather, etc., but when were his short- comings attributed to short-sightedness? Our dogs will often refuse good, clean food and hunt up an old dry bone, a stone, an old shoe, or a stick, and will gnaw them with delight, and even swallow them with evident gratification. Birds will peck at and swallow bright beads, colored threads, ete., and kittens will seize, claw and bite almost any moving small object; but these vagaries are attributed to the idiosyneracies of the animals mentioned, while in fishes they are ascribed to defective sight. But what are a fish’s eyes for? According to our pres- ent knowledge they are to enable him to become “a snap- per-up of unconsidered trifles” with hooks attached to them ! Now, so far as the artificial fly is concerned, when it is cast lightly upon a fretted surface, I think it is generally. taken by a fish under the impression that it is a natural insect; but with regard to trolls of all kinds, as spoons, squids, spinners, propellers, etc., and very often with re- gard to the artificial fly, I am of the opinion that they are taken through a spirit of mere bravado, curiosity or wan- tonness, and not with the idea that they are living objects of prey. ‘They are seized by the fish because they are bright, attractive and in motion; not because they are hungry, but because they are in a biting mood, for we often find, nay, most always find, that fish so taken are already gorged with food. At a meeting of the Manchester Anglers’ Association, in England, Dr. A. Hodgkinson gave an address on the “ Optics of Angling,” which is thus noticed by the “ Lon- don Fishing Gazette :” “In considering the subject of angling optics, we are met, as Dr. Hodgkinson pointed out, by the difficulty that we do not ent Ste TET SENSE OF SIGHT. 99 know exactly what the sight of fishes is, but we must assume it to be not much unlike our own, and we are not without grounds for the assumption. By drawings on a blackboard, Dr. Hodg- kinson showed how the eyes of both men and fishes were alike in their main parts, the greatest divergence being that, whereas the optic nerve in man occupies only a small portion of the brain, in fishes it occupies pretty nearly the whole brain; and we may pre- sume, therefore, that the sight of fishes is more sensitive. “ Dr. Hodgkinson then dwelt with the phenomena of the pas- sage of rays of light from the rare medium air to the dense me- dium water, and the change in direction that the incident ray undergoes; he pointed out the fact that under certain conditions an angler on the bank might be invisible to a fish in the stream, but the exultation of the gentlemen assembled was _ probably damped when they heard that, in order practically to discover the distance they must stand from the water in order to be invis- ible, they must take their height and multiply it by fourteen, which, as an unfortunate angler who was present pointed out, would require him, seeing that he is six feet high, to stand eighty- four feet from the water’s edge before he could take advantage of the invisible mantle Dr. Hodgkinson had promised him. The case, however, is not quite so hopeless as this, for, as the doctor pointed out, the water in which the fly-fisher angles is not gener- ally so smooth as a mirror, and in ripple or broken water it is impossible for fish to see the object on two legs that may be on the bank. “In fishing for trout, wading in many streams is a necessity, and by means of an ingeniously constructed tank Dr. Hodgkinson showed not only what the angler looked like to the fish when he waded, but how his aspect was affected by the ‘color of the bot- tom of the river, and that of such cover as there might be on the bank. The rather startling announcement was made and demonstrated, that while the wader was duplicated so far as his legs were concerned, another pair appearing upside down on the actual legs, the man’s body, if visible at all, was far away from the legs, and overhead, where, if we put ourselves in the position of the fishes, we should expect to see nothing but sky. No fish then ever saw a wader with his two halves united, and whether its feeble brain can ever connect together the two distinct objects 100 Book OF THE BLAcK BAss. — the body up in the air and the legs down in the water — is ex- tremely doubtful. “The tank by which Dr. Hodgkinson was enabled to demon- strate his theories was made so that from one end the observer eould, by directing his vision from various depths of water, al- ways look through a slip of glass placed at right angles to the point toward which he looked. In this way, and by use of a little figure to represent a man, the point where invisibility begins (four degrees) could be clearly seen, as well as the effect which the water has of apparently lifting the object much above the position which it occupies.” SENSE OF HEARING. There is no external ear in fishes, the internal ear alone existing, and which is extremely delicate in its construc- tion. Dr. John Hunter observed that it varied much in the different genera of fishes, but that in all it consisted of three curved tubes, which united one with another. The whole organ is composed of a kind of cartilaginous sub- stance, and in some fishes is crusted over with a thin lamella to keep it from collapsing. The canals terminate in a cavity, in which cavity there is a bone or bones. These ear-bones are familiar to most anglers, and are sometimes very beautiful, resembling porcelain, and are often called “brain-ivory;” those of the sheepshead> (Aplodinotus grunniens) of our western waters are known as “ lucky stones,” and are highly prized by boys as pocket pieces. It is the rule among physiologists to say, that while fishes can hear sounds produced in the water, they are incapable of hearing those produced in the air, and even to limit their capacity for hearing accurately those produced in the water. So mE ae ee eee SENSE OF HEARING. 101 Take this, for example, from Mr. Hugh Owen, in “ Land and Water :” “Tt is exceedingly doubtful if fish possess the faculty of hear- ing, in the ordinary sense of the term. Mr. Buckland has ac- curately described the nature of the sensation they do possess, as vibration. There cannot be a doubt that fish have no possible conception of either vicinity, direction, or distance of the vibra- tory disturbances they receive. A distant vibration disturbs a shoal of fishes as much as a near one; and fish feeding eagerly at the bait will be alarmed and dispersed by the beat of a steam vessel a mile off. All the stories of fish coming to be fed at the sound of a bell or of a whistle are, of course, fables. Such sounds made in the air will not communicate vibrations to the fish beneath the surbace of the water. They assemble only be- cause they see a figure, and are accustomed to be fed upon such occasions.” No angler or fisherman of experience and observation can be made to believe such specious and questionable state- ments as the above. He knows better. As fishes live in a denser medium than terrestrial ani- mals, and one that more readily transmits the waves of sound, we should naturally expect to find a corresponding difference in the construction of the organ of hearing. The internal ear of fishes differs only in degree, not in kind, from that of the higher animals; they, of course, have no external ear, nor is one necessary in so dense a medium as water; but for this reason it is the fashion to say that they can only hear. vibrations communicated through the medium of the water or the shore, the “ vibrations ” mean- ing considerable “ jars” or “ shocks.” “The ear of fishes lies close under the roof of the skull, and is thus easily accessible to the waves of sound, which are con- ducted partly through the operculum (when present), and partly through the gill slits or spiracle. As we pass to the higher ani- 102 Book OF THE Buack Bass. mals, however, the auditory organ gradually sinks further and further inward from the surface. Thus a new method for con- ducting the sound waves is necessitated.”— (Wiedersheim. ) “Many Teleostei (true fishes) have fontanelles in the roof of the skull, closed by skin or very thin bone only at the place where the auditory organ approaches the surface, by which means sonorous undulations must be conducted with greater ease to the ear.” — (Giinther. ) : “In many Teleostei a most remarkable relation obtains be- tween the organ of hearing and the air-bladder. In the most simple form, this connection is established in percoids and the allied families, in which the two anterior horns of the air-bladder are attached to fontanelles of the occipital region of the skull.”— (Giinther. ) The air-bladder, in such cases, may, in a manner, per- form the functions of a tympanum. I append a few sensible remarks from an article by W. N. Lockington, in “ Pacifie Life :” “Tt appears to be not unlikely that fish take no notice of sounds produced in the air, but it is not so easy, unless we can argue the matter from a fish’s point of view, to prove they do not hear those sounds. Take the sense of sight as an illustration of that of hearing. I have often amused myself by making believe to strike a monkey that lived in a cage with a glass front. Accus- tomed to such demonstrations, the monkey simply took no notice. His bright eyes never even winked. Arguing, as was argued in the fish case, I might say monkeys cannot see. “ All fishes have an organ of hearing; not a rudimentary organ, but one complete in its kind, and differing from ours only in its degree of development; differing, in fact, much in the same way that the brain, the heart, the intestines, the skeleton, the skin, the limbs, or any other part of a fish differs from that of a quadruped or from our own. “The microphone has gone far toward proving what philoso- phers had previously become convinced of by deductive reasoning, that there is no motion without sound, and therefore that sound is present in numberless instances not evident to our senses. For = PRAISE SENSE OF HEARING. 103 our perception of sound we are dependent upon our sense of hear- ing, which is adapted only to a certain range of sounds; and this range differs in human individuals, for we all know that some other persons hear sounds imperceptible to us. Still more is this true of other animals; they may hear what we can not, yet be deaf to sounds audible to us. “ Strict experiments upon the hearing of fishes have yet to be made. Most of the observations yet made are faulty, either be- cause, first, the observer has supposed that the fish ought, if it can hear, to notice a sound he makes for the purpose; or, second, he has argued, from the standpoint of his own senses, that if a fish hears, the range of its hearing must be nearly the same as his own. “To conclude: that fish have ears, is indisputable; that they hear some sounds produced in the water, scarcely admits of ques- tion; that they hear some sounds produced in the air, even though they may not take notice of them, is probable, but lacks (so far as I know) experimental proof; that they ‘do not hear many sounds which we hear, or at least do not discriminate be- tween sounds which we, with our more highly organized organs, readily distinguish,,is almost certain. All of which ends in this, that: fishes hear, but their senses differ in range and delicacy from ours.” A remarkable instance, demonstrating the acuteness of the sense of hearing in fishes, occurred some years ago in California. As it is an exceedingly interesting and well- authenticated fact, and one so totally at variance with pre- conceived notions, I feel justified in reproducing it here. The account was published in the “ San Francisco Chron- icle,” upon the authority of Mr. B. B. Redding, then one of the Fish Commissioners of California : “In Siskiyou County there is a caravansary kept by George Campbell, and known as the Upper Soda Springs Hotel, which is situated on a semicircle of land formed by a bend in the Sacra- mento River. Wishing to have a supply of fresh trout close at hand, Mr. Campbell had a supply of water conducted through 4 104 Book OF THE BLACK Bass. board flume from the river to a natural depression in the ground, thereby creating an excellent fish pond of about half an acre in extent, which he supplied with full-grown trout caught in the river. The supply flume is, for some distance, raised about four feet above the ground. About four hundred feet from the pond, a small rivulet, which is an outlet for irrigating water, flows under the flume, crossing it at right angles and about four feet below it, and empties into the river. “The fall of water from the end of the flume to the surface of the pond is two feet, the water in the flume flowing with a velocity of three miles an hour. The pond has an outlet, which is screened to prevent the escape of the trout. Shortly after the pond was established, the discovery was made that numbers of fish were missing from it. Mr. Campbell instituted an investigation, which resulted in discovering that the fish, dissatisfied with their new quarters, had leaped through the waterfall two feet into the flume, and, swimming against the strong current until they reached where the stream crosses under the flume, they had leaped out of the latter to the stream four feet beneath. ‘ “Upon discovering the method of flight adopted by his finny acrobats, Mr. Campbell prevented further escape by placing a sereen at the mouth of the flume. Up to last accounts the dis- satisfied fish had discovered no other method of getting into their favorite Sacramento. The questions immediately suggest them- selves: How could the fish know that a stream flowed under the flume, the sides of which were considerably above the surface of the water, and if they possessed that knowledge, how were they to know that they were immediately over it? Mr. Redding ex- amined the ground carefully along the flume, and could not dis- cover a single instance of a trout having jumped out at any other place.” Mr. Redding subsequently communicated to the “ Forest and Stream” the following solution of the matter: “The attention of Prof. E. D. Cope, the eminent naturalist, hav- ing been called to the above facts, he has given me an explanation which seems entirely satisfactory. He tells me that at the base of every scale of the trout, at a point where the scale is united with SENSE OF HEARING. 105 the skin, is a nerve; that all these nerves, from the base of every scale, lead to a large ganglion situated on the center of the fore- head of the fish below the eyes; and that nerves from this gang- lion communicate to the internal ear. These nerves, at the base of each scale, are formed to receive vibrations in water. Any vibration in water reaching the scales of the fish is thus communi- cated to the internal ear. If, as was the fact, one of the timbers that supported the flume rested in the running water on the ground, the vibrations of this running water on the ground would be carried by this timber to the flume and to the water in it, four feet above, and the ear of the fish would separate and take cognizance of the difference in the vibrations, as the human ear in the air distinguishes the difference between the voices of friends.” As many fishes utter sounds, some so loud as to be heard in the air, it is reasonable to suppose that such sounds are heard by other fishes. Most fishes are capable of receiving impressions, through three sets of sense organs, viz., the ears, the skin, and the lateral line organs. Mr. H. G. Parker, after many experiments, has determined that “ the skin is affected by surface waves and by currents; the lateral line organs by slight inaudible movements of the whole mass of water; and the ears by the still more delicate vibrations of water particles, sound.” Among the most intelligent investigations in this direc- tion in recent years have been the experiments just men- tioned, of Mr. H. G. Parker, Assistant Professor of Zoology, Harvard University, under the auspices of the U. S. Bureau of Fisheries, at its laboratory at Woods Hole, Mass., during the past year or two. He made many experi- ments dealing with the cutaneous nerves, the lateral organs and the auditory nerves, on such fishes as were most readily procured, principally with killifishes (Mundulus hetero- clitus). These experiments were not confined to fishes in 106 Book OF THE BLACK Bass. aquaria, but to those in open water as well, and in refer- ence to the latter condition he says: “The sound, therefore, was as unrestricted as that which natu- rally reaches these fishes. On experimenting with normal fishes, fishes without ears, and those with insensitive skins, results were obtained essentially like those observed in the aquarium, and I therefore concluded that the restriction of the water in the equarium played no essential part in the results obtained from that apparatus. There is, thus, good reason to believe that Fundulus heteroclitus not only hears, but that for it hearing is a normal process.” Mr. Parker means by “ fishes without ears, and. those with insensitive skins,” fishes in which the cutaneous and auditory nerves were severed. His summary of the results of his experiments is as follows: “1. Normal Fundulus heteroclitus reacts to the sound waves from a tuning fork of 128 vibrations per second by movements of the pectoral fins and by an increase in the respiratory rate. It probably also responds to sound waves by caudal-fin movements and by general locomotor movements. “2. Individuals in which the eighth (auditory) nerves have _ been cut do not respond to sound waves from the tuning-fork. “3. The absence of responses to sound waves in individuals with severed eighth nerves is not due to the shock of the operation or to other secondary causes, but to the loss of the ear as a sense organ, “4. Fundulus heteroclitus therefore possesses the sense of hearing. “5. The ears in this species are also organs of prime impor- tance in equilibration. “6. Normal Fundulus heteroclitus swims downward from the top of the water and remains near the bottom when the aquarium in which it is contained is given a slight noiseless motion. _ “7, Individuals in which the nerves to the lateral-line organs have been cut will swim upward or remain at the top while the aquarium is being gently and noiselessly moved. en SENSE OF HEARING. 107 “8. The lateral-line organs in this species are probably stimu- lated by a slight mass movement of the water against them. They are not stimulated by sound waves such as stimulate the ears. — . “9. Individuals in which the nerves to the lateral-line organs have been cut swim downward and thus escape from regions of surface wave action. They also orient perfectly in swimming against a current. Since surface waves and current action stimu- late fishes in which the nerves to the lateral-line organs and to the ears have been cut, these motions must stimulate the general cutaneous nerves (touch). “10. The vibrations from a bass-viol string when transmitted to water stimulate the ears and the lateral-line organs of Fun- dulus. They also stimulate mackerel and menhaden, but not the smooth dogfish, which responds only when in contact with solid portions of an aquarium subjected to vibrations.” * Since Mr. Parker’s experiments were made, Dr. J. Zen- neck, of the Strassburg Physical Institute, has published in the Archiv fur Gesammte Physiologie, vol. 95, pages 346-356, 1903, an article on the reactions of fish to sounds in the water, and has shown very conclusively that several species of minnows are very sensitive to sound, though he did not determine whether this sensitiveness resided in the skin (touch), or in the ear (hearing), or in both. The sound used was a protected electric bell under the water. It is conceded that fish can hear sounds or vibrations produced on, or in, the water, but that they can hear sounds produced in the air is doubted by many; but every observant angler can recall instances where this doubt has been refuted. JI remember, as a boy, that when swimming below the surface, I could hear the shouting of my com- * For the full account of Mr. Parker’s interesting experiments the reader is referred to U. S. Fish Commission Bulletin for 1902, pages 45 to 64. Also to the American Naturalist, Vol. xxxvi, No. 435, 1903; and Science, new series, Vol. 17, page 243, 1903. 108 Book OF THE BLAcK BASs. panions, though faintly; while the striking of two stones together below the surface was heard more distinctly. It is well known to some, though doubted by many, that fish can be tamed and taught to come to the surface of the water to be fed, answering promptly to the sounds of the voice, a bell, or a whistle. I have observed instances of this kind, myself, and under such circumstances as rendered it impossible for the fish to see the person producing the sounds mentioned. | ; In a recent work on “ British Fresh-Water Fishes,” by Sir Herbert Maxwell, F. R. S., he mentions an incident in support of his belief that fishes can hear sounds produced in the air. One bright October day he was painting en the shore of Loch Ken, in Galloway. He noticed multi- tudes of small perch near the margin. [Presently a shot was fired nearly a mile away. He says: “The report came clearly, because of the stillness of the air, but at that distance it could not be called loud; yet the shoal of fry instantly darted into the deeper water. In a little while they began to creep back towards the shore, Then came another shot; off again went the fry; and so after every shot, repeating the performance for my edification eight or nine times.” I have observed fish exhibit symptoms of fright or alarm at the report of fire-arms, or other loud noises, and to be seared and dart away at the sound of the human voice, or the barking of a dog, when the fish could not see the origi- nators of the noises. Birds will remain quietly perched on a tree and seem to take no notice of the sound of the human voice, or of loud noises. It is well known to sportsmen that a covey of ruffed grouse, or mountain grouse, will remain perched one above another in a tree, while the gunner may shoot them, one after the other, by beginning with the lowest bird. —a wea ae aS SMELL, TASTE AND TOUCH. 109 Horses, cattle or sheep will continue to crop the grass of a pasture, apparently oblivious to all sounds, but will look up at the approach of a man or’a dog. Even wild animals remain motionless at the report of a gun, or other noises, provided the author of the sounds is not seen. And yet, if a fish does not skurry away at similar sounds, it is taken as conclusive evidence that it does not hear them. It would truly seem, on reflection, that beasts and birds would be more likely to show symptoms of alarm at sounds produced in the medium in which they live, move and have their being, than fishes which inhabit another and denser medium, and consequently feel safe and secure from causes operating in the air. SENSES OF SMELL, TASTE AND TOUCH. The olfactory organs of fishes, while being well developed, have no relation whatever with the function of respiration, as in air-breathing animals. Giinther says: “ It is certain that fishes possess the faculty of perceiving odors, and that various scents attract or repel them.” This fact has been patent to observant anglers since long before the time of “honest Izaak Walton. It is evident that game-fishes, like the black bass, which resort to mid-water and near the surface, depend almost entirely on the sense of sight in pursuit of their food, while bottom-feeding fishes rely on the senses of smell, taste or touch. The latter group of fishes have special nervous filaments ending in what are known to neurologists as “ ter- minal buds,” located in the mouth and on the skin of the body; also in the barbels, or “ feelers,” as in the catfishes, and in the detached fin rays of other fishes. These ter- minal buds seem to have the property or function of taste, 110 Book oF THE BLAck Bass. being connected with the olfactory bulbs of the brain, and are necessary to such fishes in the procuring and detection of their food. Do FIsHES SLEEP. As fishes possess no eye-lids, the eyes, consequently, al- ways being open, the absurd question is often asked, “ Do fish sleep?” “I say absurd, for it certainly seems so to imagine that fishes alone of all the animal creation do not sleep. That they sleep, and sleep every day is not to be doubted. They sleep very lightly, however, and are easily awakened by the slightest jar on the bank, or, as I believe, from sounds in the air of an unusual character. From my observations of fishes in the ponds of fish hatcheries, I think they sleep mostly during the middle hours of the day and night. STOCKING WATERS. 111 CHAPTER VIII. ON STOCKING WATERS WITH BLACK BASS. “And it is observed, that in some ponds carps will not breed, especially in cold ponds; but where they will breed, they breed innumerably.”— IzAAK WALTON, THE black bass is peculiarly adapted, in every respect, for stocking inland waters. There is no fish that will give more abundant and satisfactory returns, and none in which the labor and expense attending its introduction is so slight. As a food fish, there are very few, if any, more palatable fresh-water fishes, its flesh being firm, white, and flaky, and when cooked, nutty, tender, and juicy; it has few bones and little offal, and as a pan-fish is unexcelled. Its game qualities are second to none, and it will thrive and mul- tiply in waters where the trouts can not exist. There are few fish more prolific, while there is none more hardy, healthy, and better able to take care of itself, and none that protects or cares more tenderly for its young ; consequently, there is no limit to its production and in- crease in suitable waters, save from a lack of natural food. In view, then, of its many good qualities, there is no fish more worthy of cultivation; none that can be so easily transplanted, and none that is so well adapted to the vari- ous waters of our country, for there is no game-fish that has such an extensive original habitat. Every attempt that has been made, intelligently, to stock suitable waters with the black bass, has been crowned with signal success, which, unfortunately, has not been the case 112 Book oF THE Buiack Bass. with the introduction of other game- and food-fishes. The ' praiseworthy efforts that have hitherto been made to re- populate streams formerly inhabited by salmon or brook trout, have either totally failed, or the results, in a ma- jority of instances, have not been at all satisfactory; nor does it seem, now, as though these efforts will ever prove successful, owing to causes which I have mentioned else- where. Streams which are necessarily obstructed by dams, even when the most approved fishways are provided, or whose waters are polluted by the refuse of manufactories, can never be successfully stocked with the salmonids; but the black bass seems to thrive fairly well in spite of these and other disadvantages. From what has been said in regard to their habits, it will readily be seen that there is no necessity for hatching black bass artificially, in the manner practiced with the salmon, trout, or shad, nor would the method be as suc- cessful, for reasons well known to fish culturists. The Salmonide of the eastern United States, with the exception of the grayling, prepare their beds and deposit their spawn late in the fall, or early winter. This being accomplished, all further interest in the procreation of their species, for the time, ceases; the eggs are left to them- selves, and such as escape being devoured by their nu- merous enemies are hatched in from two to four months, according to species and temperature of water. The young are provided with a yolk-sac, which nourishes them for a period of from twenty-five to forty-five days, varying with the species, when they begin to look for other means of subsistence. During all this time, from spawning until the absorption of the yolk-sac, from three to six months as the case may wet: Si ae ee Sh m4, STOCKING WATERS. 113 be, the eggs and young are helplessly exposed to the ravages of predatory fish, reptiles, and birds. Under these circum- stances comparatively few fish arrive at maturity, and streams are soon depopulated by seining, unlawful fishing and natural vicissitudes ; hence arises the necessity for their artificial cultivation and the re-stocking of such waters. The eggs of the salmonids are of a separate and non- adhesive character, which admits of their being easily handled and managed for the purposes of artificial repro- duction, while those of the black bass are glutinous and adhesive, which renders them very difficult to manipulate for similar purposes. The black bass being hatched with but a rudimentary or very small umbilical vesicle or yolk-sac, needs the foster- ing care and attention of the parent fish, who teaches it how and where to find its food, and protects it from its enemies in the same way that a hen cares for her brood. All that is required, then, to stock a stream or pond with black bass, is to procure a small number of the fish, at least a year old, and place them in the waters. If the water is of a suitable character, and possesses a sufficient supply of natural food, the bass will propagate naturally, and rapidly increase in numbers. The only considerations to be looked after are the char- acter and conditions of the waters to be stocked — suffi- cient depth and extent of surface being more important than quality of water — and the supply of food contained in them. It is useless to attempt to stock very small and confined ponds of less than three acres in extent ; for in such ponds, without communication with running water, the bass will not increase beyond a certain limited number, which will usually be the number of fish originally planted. The supply of natural food in such cases will soon become 9 114 Book OF THE BuLAck Bass. exhausted, and the old fish will prey upon the young, should any be hatched, until a certain average, proportionate to the supply of food, is established and maintained. In the case of newly formed ponds, they should be well stocked with minnows, crustacea, frogs, etc., at least a year before the bass are introduced. It is also necessary that there should be in all ponds, holes of not less than twelve feet in depth, to which the bass can retire in very hot weather, and where they can also hibernate. In some waters, one species of black bass may prosper better than the other; for instance, in large ponds or shal- low lakes, with a sluggish current, muddy bottom, and abounding in fresh-water alge, the large-mouth bass will thrive better than the small-mouth species. But in streams, and ponds with a good supply of running water, either, or both species may be introduced. The black bass has been successfully transported to Eng- land. Mr. Silk, fish-culturist to the Marquis of Exeter, has taken over two lots of young small-mouth bass from the Delaware River, the first in 1878, and the second in 1879. In a letter to the late Frank Buckland, Mr. Silk says: “Tn 1879 I went again, and started from America with 1,200 black bass, and on arriving home I had 812, having done better than I did on the previous occasion. All of the black bass were for the Marquis of Exeter, he having borne all the expense of the experiment. Most of the fish were placed in a lake belonging to his lordship, called Whitewater, near Stamford. Not any of them have been caught yet, but two of them were found dead in a pipe, where they had got jammed. The pipe supplied a filterer, and they had got in and could not get out again. From what I could learn they would be about half a pound each in weight, so that they had done very well. The first lot that were put in will be three years old in April, when they are expected to commence breeding.” ae ez STOCKING WATERS. 115 In transporting black bass for the purpose of stocking new waters, great foresight, care, and judgment must be used. The size and number of the fish, the distance they are to be carried, and the length of time to be consumed in the journey, must all be taken into consideration. The size and number of the fish will determine the size and number of the containers; thus, while a common wash-tub- would be a safe receptacle to transport twenty-five bass, six inches in length, for a long distance, it would not be suffi- cient for half the number of double the size, for it would require a vessel that would contain at least one and a half times the quantity of water. This is a safe rule to follow, and calculations can be made accordingly. For small fish,. six to eight inches long, the largest size wash-tubs are well adapted, but for larger fish the carrier must be much deeper. If barrels are used they need not be perfectly new, but they should not retain any vestige of their former contents, as vinegar, oil, whisky, ete. The best ones would be those that had been used to hold water for a long time. Wooden tanks, constructed for the pur- pose, will answer, provided they have been soaked in run- ning water a sufficient length of time to take up and re- move all the soluble matter of the wood, as tannic acid, ete. Metal tanks, constructed of galvanized iron, heavy tin, ete., though more expensive, are to be preferred, but they must be rendered perfectly clean before the fish are put into them. If the number of fish to be carried is large, it is much better to provide a sufficient number of containers than to crowd the fish. Except in railroad cars especially con- structed for the purpose, there is no good plan yet devised for aerating water, while in transit, by forcing air into it, for most of it escapes at once as the numerous bubbles that 116 Book oF THE BLAcK Bass. appear on the surface testify. The better way is to expose the water to the air in finely divided particles, in the form of spray or small drops, as by forcing or pouring it through a fine rose. I have seen it successfully accom- plished by dipping the water out of the container with a common sprinkling-can, or watering-pot, and pouring it back again through the rose, or sprinkler, from a con- siderable height; this is as simple and effectual a way as any yet devised. It is a bad plan to change the water frequently, as is often done, for the change in the character and temper- ature of the water thus produced, affects the fish un- favorably. The best plan, by far, is to aerate the original water. If in warm weather, the temperature of the water should be noted, occasionally, and kept at its original tem- perature, or a little lower, by the addition of small pieces of ice from time to time. These instructions are only general, and must be varied to suit particular circumstances. Sometimes, for short distances, double the number of fish may be safely carried, in the space I have designated. Moreover, it is possible to be too attentive, and kill the fish with kindness. If the number of fish to be transported is large enough to justify the experiment, the best and safest plan would be to carry one vessel, with its allotted number, first, and, according to the operator’s best judgment; then, as the experiment proved successful, or not, would depend the transportation of the balance, on the same, or some other plan of pro- ceeding. A lake belonging to the South Fork Fishing and Hunt- ing Club, of Pittsburg, Pa., was successfully stocked with adult black bass in June, 1881. The transportation of six hundred and sixty bass from Sandusky, Ohio, to the ‘at 2 te STOCKING WATERS. 117 lake, ninety miles east of Pittsburg, was carried out very successfully under the direction of Mr. W. A. McIntosh, vice-president of the club. The fish were placed in fifteen oak casks, three feet high, and three feet in diameter, and five galvanized iron tanks, tive feet high, and three feet in diameter. The water was kept at the proper temperature by adding ice occasionally, and aerated by means of a large air-pump and fifty feet of one-inch rubber hose, at one end of which was a series of perforated tin tubes. A large tin tube also ran along above the casks, with a small dependent tube ending in a sprink- ler leading to the top of each cask, into which water was poured and entered the casks in a fine spray. The bass weighed from three-fourths of a pound to two and one-half pounds, averaging one and a half pounds each. The females were heavy with spawn, as the season was backward. They were on the road, from Sandusky to the lake, some thirty hours, with a loss of only sixty fish, or ten per cent. The bass prospered well in the lake, as myriads of young bass, six or eight inches long, were per- ceived the following year. They multiplied rapidly for several years, affording fine fishing for the members of the club and their friends. Eventually, however, the dam inclosing the lake gave way under the pressure of a great flood, and the appalling disaster at Johnstown was the result. Not only in our own country have new waters been suc- cessfully stocked with both species of black bass, but they have been transplanted to England, as mentioned, also to Scotland, Germany and the Netherlands. A later notice of those taken to England is as follows: “ Of twelve hundred black bass brought from the United States by Mr. W. T. Silk, one hundred and forty were placed in the 118 Book OF THE Buack Bass. river Nene. They were from four to seven inches in length. The river has a number of small backwaters, with swift currents and gravelly bottoms, and also deep, quiet holes. Fishing will be prohibited for some years, until the fish are well established. I think the Nene and the Welland are the only rivers in England where the bass have been put; but they are in several lakes.”— (London Fishing Gazette, December 1, 1883.) . I assisted Herr Von dem Borne with such information as subsequently enabled him to successfully cultivate the black bass in Germany. The following is the account of his first installment. “Of the seven large-mouth, and forty-five small-mouth bass which Mr. Eckardt, Jr., brought from America in February, 1883, the greater number died, probably in consequence of the long journey, so that this spring there remained only three of the former and ten of the latter, which I placed in two ponds, sup- plied with gravel beds for spawning.”—(Max Von dem Borne, Circular No. 4, 1884, German Fishery Association, Berlin, June, 1884.) The ponds of Von dem Borne, alluded to above, are located at Berneuchen, Germany. On June 15, 1884, he wrote: “To-day I had the satisfaction of finding that the three large fish had spawned, and the pond actually swarms with fry. I have caught with a small net more than two thousand, and have put them into another pond which is free from other fish. I have no doubt that next spring the small-mouth bass will spawn, and that the experiment will be successful.”— (Bull, U. S. Fish. Com., Iv, 1884, 219.) In June, 1885, he said: “ My thirteen black bass have spawned. I have caught 11,800 of the fry, and placed them in ponds that have no other fish.” STOCKING WATERS. 119 In August, 1885, he wrote: . “IT am pleased to say that the fish multiplied abundantly. I had 1,200 in the fall of 1884, and have caught more than 22,000 fry this season.” Count Von dem Borne raised more black bass, of both species, than he could take care of, and shipped them to other parts of Hurope. In 1886, he published a small treatise: “ Der Schwartzbarsch und der Forrellenbarsch ” (The Black Bass and the Trout Bass), and a larger edition in 1888. Until he died he was very enthusiastic in regard to the black bass as a game-fish and food-fish. In March, 1885, Mr. Eugene G. Blackford, of New York, sent five young black bass to the Zoological Garden at Amsterdam, where they arrived in excellent condition. In December, 1885, the “ Journal of the Society for the Promotion of the Fresh-water Fisheries in the Nether- lands,” says: “The Amsterdam Aquarium at present possesses four fine specimens of black bass, which grow well, and will, in all prob- ability, reach sexual maturity.” In April, 1882, Mr. Geo. Shepard Page took a small lot of. black bass, comprising both species, on the steamer Spain, from New York to Liverpool. -Six of the fish were supplied by Mr. Eugene G. Blackford, of New York, and twelve young and five adult fish were supplied by Professor Spencer F. Baird, U. 8S. Fish Commissioner. Two of the adult bass died before reaching Liverpool. The balance were safely transported to Golspie, Sutherland, in Scot- land, and placed in a loch belonging to the Duke of Suther- land. I wish to add a word in this connection to a paper of 120 Book or THE BLAcK Bass. mine read before the American Fisheries Society, in refer- ence to objections urged against the introduction of black bass into eastern waters, upon the theory that the presence of the “voracious” bass would militate against the in- crease of shad, trout or salmon. ‘The objections are not valid, or founded on fact, for the black bass prefers a diet of crawfish, when he can get it, varying it with minnows, insects, larvae, and frogs, and in eastern waters he would not object to young eels. Pike, pickerel, pike-perch, and gar-fish, are almost entirely piscivorous in their habits, which might be expected from the character of their teeth, which are separate, sharp and conical, and their sins have no doubt been charged to the black bass. But, while the bass will take in a young shad or salmon if it comes his way when hungry, he will not make them special objects of pursuit, like the canine-teethed fishes above named. The failure to restock such streams, if any such failure exists, must be attributed to other causes than the intro- duction of the black bass, prominent among which is the unrelenting pursuit of the young fry by the predatory fishes mentioned. ‘They are only exceeded in their destruc- tiveness by the genus Homo, with his miles of gill-nets at the mouths of the streams, to prevent the return of the shad or salmon during the breeding season; and should a few run the gauntlet and succeed in depositing their spawn in the upper reaches of the rivers, the eels, bull- heads and suckers take good care of it. In western waters where the black bass exists with the usual varieties of fishes, there is no perceptible decrease in the numbers of either. If any species suffers it is always the black bass on account of over-fishing, spearing, etc. I know of isolated lakes in Wisconsin where the black bass has co-existed with the cisco (one of the salmon family), STOCKING WATERS. 13 longer than the memory of man runneth to the contrary, without a decrease of the latter fish. If then the bass can not “get away with” the cisco in confined waters, how can he “clean out” the shad or salmon in large flowing streams? Moreover, I know of a small stream in Wiscon- sin that abounded in black bass and crawfish, into which brook-trout were introduced to the discomfiture of the former fish, for the trout increased while the numbers of the bass grew smaller by degrees and beautifully less. I also know of lakes in Canada that have always been in- habited by both brook trout and large-mouth black bass, with no detriment to the former fish. And, furthermore, the black bass will not eat the spawn of his mate, nor that of his fellows’ mates. His natural food is the craw- fish and the minnow; he prefers them, and they are easily procured. On them he will wax and grow fat, increase and multiply. The man who alleges that he depopulates the streams of valuable food fishes, or asserts that he “ kills for the love of it,’ has never looked into the mouth of the bass with his eyes open, for its teeth on both jaws are brush-like, incapable of wounding — forming merely a pair of broad, rough foreeps for holding its prey securely. If, then, there are waters in which the brook-trout or the rainbow-trout will not thrive, there need be no hesitation to aid in the further distribution of the black bass by in- troducing that desirable species. It is easily done, and success is already assured. It is only necessary to look to the Potomac, the Susquehanna, the Delaware and many other streams for evidence of its rapid increase in new waters. a ere ry, a ee ‘ ie Be Tee eae! ie Sh aa ee ns ie. - Or Ae a ere + p ie 4A < on ie ot ES i ee?” ea . 7 a tee eet : ’ ‘v . eS + 5 * s ud -f ie * is ‘ Ps . os A, . _ .,! PART II. TOOLS, TACKLE AND IMPLEMENTS. 2 re a so “a ’ ’ — : {+ : . ’ SS 7 - , \ ¢ ‘ ae “= / o 4 : < Ohey ‘2 “ys ter . ee oe va oe o Zs - i MAW Ss 257 | VENUS AND CUPID FISHING. From a copy of a wall painting at Pompeii in possession of R. B. Marston, Esq., Editor of the Fishing Gazette, London, England. * ’ =) FIsHING Robs. 127 CHAPTER IX. FISHING RODS. “And now, scholar! I think it will be time to repair to our angle-rods.”— Izaak WALTON. | Tue first and most important article in the angler’s outfit is the rod; it takes precedence of every other tool or implement in his armamentarium. A thoroughly good and well-balanced rod is the angler’s especial joy and pride. A true and tried rod of graceful proportions and known excellence, which has been the faithful companion on many a jaunt by mountain stream, brawling river, or quiet lake, and has taken its part, and shared the victory in many a struggle with the game beauties of the waters, at last comes to be looked upon as a tried and trusty friend, in which the angler reposes the utmost confidence and reli- ance, and which he regards with a love and affection that he bestows upon no other inanimate object. I doubt if rifle, shot-gun, or fowling-piece ever becomes so dear and near to the sportsman as the rod to the angler, for the rod really becomes a part of himself, as it were, through which he feels every motion of the fish when hooked, and which, being in a measure under the control of his will, and responsive to the slightest motion of his wrist, seems to be imbued with an intelligence almost life- like. The essential qualities of a fishing rod, are balance, strength, elasticity, pliancy, and lightness, and in its con- struction such a wood, or combination of woods, must be used as will best subserve these conditions. The natural cane, or reed pole, when it is of good and true taper, is 128 Book OF THE Buack Bass. the primitive model for a fishing rod, but it is not adapted to all kinds of angling, being too long for one mode, too stiff for another, and not well balanced for a third. The nearest approach to a perfect rod, in theory, and composed entirely and alone of any one variety of wood is a red cedar rod, made entirely of one piece from butt to tip. It combines all of the essential qualities of a fishing rod, and can be made suitable for any method of angling — long or short, stiff or pliant, and withal, is extremely light ; but in practice it is not tough or strong enough for the ordinary angler. And so each and every kind of wood has some objections when used, alone, in the construction of a rod; most kinds of wood being too heavy, when other qualities are all right. The next best thing is to use a combination of woods, and this plan has been found by experience to be the best. Another plan is to alter the natural conditions of a wood by mechanical skill, as in the split-bamboo rod, by which the original natural good qualities are not only preserved, Lut improved upon by the skill of the workman. MATERIAL FOR Rops. In order to get proper and desired action of combined woods, and for convenience, portability, and ease of being repaired, rods are very properly made in several pieces, or joints. The fewer pieces used, however, the better will be the action of the rod, and, in fact, two, or at most, three pieces, are sufficient for all kinds of rods except salmon rods, which are of a necessity the longest rods made. In the selection of woods for a rod, such kinds must be used as possess the principal attributes of a fishing rod, which are toughness and elasticity; and when these quali- ties are combined with lightness, there is nothing more to y - ‘ » | 1 , ' ' pete FisHine@ Rops 129 be desired, for proper modeling will insure perfect balance and pliancy. Many kinds of native and foreign woods have been tried and experimented with to produce a rod perfect in action, such as cane, ash, hickory, maple, basswood, ironwood, hornbeam, cedar, barberry, bamboo, memel, lancewood, mahoe, greenheart, bethabara, noib, snakewood, dagama, service-berry, etc. For black bass rods, however, both for fly and bait, it has been found that split-bamboo, ash, lancewood, bethabara, and greenheart are the most suitable woods. AsH.— For butts of rods there is no wood so suitable as good, close-grained, second-growth white ash. It is straight-grained, light, springy, and strong, and in some kinds of rods it is also available for second pieces or joints, having a springy “ snap ” possessed by no other wood. LAaNcEwoop.— For second pieces and tips, lancewood, when of good quality, stands pre-eminent, being close- grained, tough, and extremely elastic, with sufficient re- siliency for small joints. It is used for tops, or tips, more universally than any other wood, on account of its superi- ority over all other varieties for this purpose. It is rather heavy for butts, though often used for this purpose, some fly-rods being constructed entirely of this fine wood, mak- ing very durable and beautiful rods, with a good action, but still rather heavy for most anglers. GREENHEART is next to lancewood for tips, and for sec- ond joints is preferred by many; it is somewhat heavy, and quite tough and springy. Many rods are made entirely of this wood, and are excellent, too, by the way, but rather heavy for the admirers of light rods. It certainly forms a handsome rod, when nicely polished, and is capable of good and hard service. In England it is a favorite wood 9 130 Book OF THE BuAck Bass. for fly-rods, where, as a rule, much heavier rods are used than in our own country. BETHABARA.—This wood was, I believe, introduced several years ago by A. B. Shipley & Son, of Philadelphia, who made a specialty of rods of this handsome material. It is very dark in color, resembling, somewhat, black- walnut. It is very hard and close-grained, almost lke bone in density, though it is rather heavy, except for second pieces and tips. Few woods can equal it for strength, toughness, aud resiliency. It is susceptible of a beautiful polish, and I know of no other wood that makes so hand- some a rod in its natural color. CANE, OR ReEn.— Native and foreign cane poles are much used for fishing rods, especially in certain kinds of angling where no reel is required, and for such service answer a good purpose. ‘The native canes are the lightest, though not so strong and durable as the Chinese or Jap- anese canes. CatcutTra BamBoo.—The East Indian, or, as it is gen- erally termed, the Caleutta bamboo, is the best of all mate- rial for the construction of a perfect rod when carefully made by a skillful and master workman. In its natural state it possesses many of the desired qualities for certain modes of angling, but for methods that require a shorter and lighter, or more pliant rod, these additional features can be secured by altering the original conditions of the cane, by sawing the outer, or cortical siliceous, layer into triangular strips and accurately fitting and gluing them together ; thus reducing the caliber, and, at the same time, preserving and enhancing all the essential and desirable qualities in a more compact form. There are two kinds of Caleutta bamboo, known to the trade as ““male” and “female” canes. The former is ee er eae FisHine Rops. To nearly solid, hard, and very tough, with large and pro- tuberant knots or joints, where, when growing, are attached the leaves and tendril-like branches, which are so tough as to render it necessary to burn them off; this, and the appli- cation of red-hot iron to straighten them, gives to these canes the peculiar clouded and burnt appearance which adds so much to the beauty of the split-bamboo rod. The female cane is hollow through its entire length, except just at the joints or bulges, which are not so prominent as in the male cane. The male cane is the best to use in its natural state, but for split-bamboo rods the selected female cane is to be preferred as it makes the most perfect rod. There has been very marked improvement in the manu- facture of fishing rods during the past twenty years. More attention has been paid to the demands of the angler by the manufacturers, who have, consequently, exercised greater skill and intelligence in supplying tools better adapted to his needs and requirements. This has resulted in shorter, lighter, and better-balanced rods, and of much better material and workmanship than was formerly ac- corded to this branch of the arts. It is a source of great pleasure and satisfaction to the angler of the present day to note the march of improve- ment in the manufacture of fine fishing tackle, and to observe the commendable enterprise manifested by the manufacturers in producing light, elegant, and suitable implements of the craft. Indeed, the skill, study, inge- nuity and good taste employed in this industry is scarcely excelled in any other; all of which is highly gratifying, for it would seem to imply that the love and practice of angling has taken deep root, and that fine fishing and scien- tific angling are in a healthy state of growth and devel- opment. 132 Book OF THE BLACK Bass. The first radical departure in the manufacture of fishing rods was the introduction of the “ Henshall rod ” for black bass bait-fishing, more than a quarter of a. century ago. After its superiority to old style long and heavy rods was demonstrated, it became an easy matter to apply the same principles to all other rods. Perhaps it would be too egotistic to say that this short- ening and lightening of ro’s in general was induced, alto- gether, by the introduction of the Henshall black bass rod, but I am assured by some of the most candid rod manu- facturers, and by many anglers, that this result is in a great measure to be attributed directly to the superior excellence of this short, light, and elegant rod, and to the fact that it subserves all the purposes, and promotes the pleasures of black bass angling in a much greater degree than the old-fashioned long and heavy rods. I am very much gratified to think that this may be the case. One of the largest manufacturers of fishing rods in the world has this to say: “More than twenty years ago Dr. James A. Henshall, an au- thority on black bass, and at present an attaché of the United States Department of Fisheries, declared that the black bass would eventually become the leading game fish of America; also that the invention of the necessary tackle would place such fishing in the very forefront of angling effort. At that time the statement im- pressed most sportsmen as a very rash prediction; for no indica- tions of such an outcome were visible to them. Thus, as so frequently happens, the prophecy was looked upon as the mere fancy of an enthusiast. But time, that demonstrator of all propositions, evidently en- listed on the side of Dr. Henshall, so that to-day we marvel at the. accuracy of the forecast. At that time, tackle designed es- pecially for black bass was scarcely known, whereas to-day it forms a large portion of the entire amount made in this country. Naturally the one who foresaw the tide of events, and who was i i * . t a : : t . : FisHine Rops. 133 an authority on such fish, would be best equipped to furnish specifications for the most desirable rods.” Spuit-BamBoo Rops. A first-class split-bamboo rod is the ultima thule of rod making. In its construction great care and skill are exer- cised. The material is carefuily selected by an expert, as the several sections for a joint must be perfect and of the same weight and bend, in order to secure homogeneity and perfect action. This requires technical skill and intelli- gence of a high order. But the cheap and shoddy kind sold in department stores is made of refuse cane by un- skilled labor, and is sold at a small advance on the cost of production. A hard wood rod at thrice the price is in- finitely better. I consider the split-bamboo rod to be the greatest inven- tion ever made pertaining to the art of angling, equaling the invention of the breech-loading rifle and shot-gun for field sports. The history of the “split-bamboo,” “section-bamboo,” or, as it is sometimes called, the “ rent and glued bamboo ” rod, although of comparatively recent origin, dating back only some sixty years, is somewhat obscure. Several per- sons have laid claim to the invention, though with what justice it has, heretofore, never been clearly determined. There is, perhaps, no important mechanical invention that has, in its inception and principle, sprung entirely and spontaneously from the brain of any single individual ; and this will apply to the split-bamboo rod as well, for though purely an American invention, as now constructed, the idea, or principle, is really of English origin. Rods formed of several pieces of hard wood, that is, from two to three longitudinal sections mitred and glued together, were 134 Book OF THE BLACK Bass. made in England many years ago; and Aldred, of London, made rod tips, or, as they are called in England, “ tops,” of split-bamboo, before the split-bamboo rod, proper, was made in this country. Aldred’s tops, however, were neces- sarily a failure from the faulty method of their construc- tion. He made them of many short pieces sawn from between the knots, or leaf-ridges, of the male cane, and spliced, to form continuous lengths. So much for the original idea. It is not my province, nor desire, to detract one iota from the credit or just due of any one in this matter, but rather to render unto Cesar those things that belong to Cesar. Jn the following pages I will present only such evidence as is entirely trustworthy, having been obtained from authentic sources, and put it on record here as relia- ble data in regard to the early history of the American split-hamboo rod; and in so doing I hope to do justice to an obscure, but worthy brother of the angle. The following amplified account of the invention of the split-bamboo rod I contributed to the “ Outing ” magazine for May, 1902. As a matter of record I reproduce it here: ORIGIN OF THE SPLIT-BAMBOO Ron. In an admirable and comprehensive article on “ Salmon Fishing” in “ Scribner’s Magazine” for October, 1876, Dr. A. G. Wilkinson, of the Patent Office, Washington, D. C., gives, so far as I know, the first history of the split- bamboo rod and its method of construction. Incidentally he says: “ Twenty-five years ago (1851) a London firm made split- bambco rods, putting the enamel inside. * * * Mr. Phillippe, living at Easton, Pa., conceived the idea, in 1866, of putting the enamel upon the outside, where it would do the most good. Next, FisHinG Rops. 135 Mr. Green and Mr. Murphy put their heads together, and made rods of this sort of four strands, and finally the old and well- known firm of A. Clerk & Co., New York, introduced into the market the Leonard rod of six and twelve strands, and have since been supplying Europeans with all they get of this article.” In 1881, in my “ Book of the Black Bass,” I gave a brief history of the origin of the split-bamboo rod as made in the United States, giving credit for the invention to Samuel Mr. SAMUEL PHILLIPPE. Phillippe, of Easton, Pa., and the date of his first rods as early as 1848. ‘The proofs that I produced were com- plete and authentic enough to establish the claim for Phil- lippe as the inventor of the split-bamboo rod in America, and certainly as the first in the world to make a four- section rod. Those made in England about that time, and exhibited at the first World’s Fair at the Crystal Pal- ace in London, in 1851, were all three-section rods; that is, \ 136 Book OF THE BLACK Bass. three triangular strips, or sections, either with the enamel inside or outside. ‘These were known as “ rent and glued- up” bamboo rods, and were shown by severa! makers.” Mr. William Mitchell, of New York, an excellent and well-known rod maker, in an article on the split-bamboo — rod in the “American Angler,” says: “Mr. Wilkinson gives the year 1866 as the one in which Mr. Phillippe, a gunmaker of Easton, Pa., made a glued-up split- bamboo rod in three sections, or parts of one. He was followed by Mr. Green and Mr, Murphy. “Dr. Henshall, in his ‘ Book of the Black Bass,’ gives the date of the first split-bamboo rod made in this country, by Samuel Phillippe, as about 1848; but all dates are from memory, and I believe the date given by Mr. Wilkinson is the nearer approach to the correct one. Mr. Phillippe never made a complete rod of split- bamboo, only a tip and joint to a three-piece rod, the butt of ash, and the joint and tip made in three sections. — “Mr. Murphy, of Newark, N. J., in an article by Mr, B. Phil- lips, on the origin of the split-bamboo, published in the New York “Times,” gives the date as 1848, when Mr. Phillippe used the natural bamboo, and subsequently made a joint of bamboo.” Satisfied that there was some error or mistake concern- ing the date, 1866, as given by Dr. Wilkinson, I afterward wrote to him on this point, when he replied as follows: “You are certainly all right on the split-bamboo question. Mitchell gives the date of Murphy’s rods as 1863, and Murphy concedes priority to Phillippe, and the latter’s date is 1846. At the time of writing I could not fix Murphy’s exact date. J am now *[As late as 1870, in Bohn’s edition of Walton’s Complete Angler, edited by Jesse, Mr. Bohn says in a footnote: “ The split- cane or glued-up rod is difficult to make well, and very expensive ; it is made of three pieces of split cane (which some say should have the bark inside, some outside), and is said to have the advantage of not warping through wet.’’] FIsHING Rops. 15%» clearly of the opinion that Phillippe’s son carelessly wrote 1866 in place of 1846, and in fact I remember perfectly well that his figures were pretty difficult to decipher.” In order to confirm and substantiate the claim I made for Phillippe, I subsequently corresponded with several of his old fishing companions and friends, citizens of Easton, Pa., with the result that I am now able to fix the date of his first rods as early as 1845. At the World’s Columbian Exposition, at Chicago, in 1893, I exhibited in my department an oil portrait of Sam- vel Phillippe, together with several of his rods, one of which is now in my possession. It is one of his first rods, and is still in as good practical condition as when first made. It is a trout fly rod, 11 feet 4 inches in length, and weighs exactly 8 ounces. It is a perfectly propor- tioned rod, as the following diameters show: Greatest swell of butt, 1 inch; inside diameter of first ferrule, 5-16ths of an inch; of second ferrule, 3-16ths of an inch; of extreme tip, 3-32ds of an inch. Length of reel seat. 34 inches; diameter, 11-16ths of an inch. Length of butt handle, from reel seat to end, 10 inches, including the iron thimble at end. If the end of butt was shortened, as in modern .rods, the weight would be reduced at least 14 ounces. It is made of four sections of bamboo, except the butt, which is of stained ash, and is neatly wrapped with black silk on the bamboo joints. The ferrules and reel bands are brass. The other rods exhibited were of four and six sections or strips throughout, including butt. One of the latter was a very finely finished and handsome rod with solid silver mountings, neatly engraved; it was accompanied by a reel of mother of pearl, the only one I have ever seen. This last was doubtless one of his later rods. 138 Book OF THE BLAck Bass. My opinion now is that Phillippe was really the first maker, and consequently the inventor of the split-bamboo rod, and made his first rod before they were made in England. I do not believe that the three-section rent and glued-up bamboo rod was made in London previous to 1845, though rods of three sections of hickory and other hard woods were, perhaps, made as early or earlier. I do not think it possible that Phillippe, in a small in- terior town in Pennsylvania, ever heard of an English split-bamboo rod before his invention; for even Mr. Mit- chell, an old and experienced rod maker of New York, says in the article referred to: “The first split-bamboo rod I ever saw or heard of was made by Wm. Blacker, 54 Dean street, Soho, London, and to order, for James Stevens, an old and well-known angler, of Hoboken, N. J. This was in 1852, and it was given to me for repairs and altera- tions in that year.” The late Professor Alfred M. Mayer, editor of the Cen- tury Company’s “Sport With Rod and Gun,’* in a foot- note to Dr. Wilkinson’s article, says in reference to this rod : “T have seen a split-bamboo rod made according to the sugges- tions of that distinguished angler, the late James Stevens, of Hoboken, by Blacker, of London. This rod is of three sections, with the enamel on the outside, and was made in 1852, while Mr. Stevens was in London. This date has been accurately determined for me by his son, Mr. Frank Stevens.” Notwithstanding the great number of British books on angling published during a century, there is no mention of * Dr. A. G. Wilkinson was the first to suggest to the editor of “ Seribner’s Magazine,” Dr. Holland, to publish a series of articles on sports with gun and rod, of which his was the first. FIsHING Rops. 139 the rent and glued-up cane rod previous to 1847. In this year “Ephemera” (Edward Fitzgibbon) published his “ Hand-book of Angling,’ in which he gives a description of the method of Mr. Little, a London rod maker, in the construction of a salmon rod composed of an ash butt, with the other joints of three-section split and glued-up bam- boo cane. During the Chicago World’s Fair a daughter of Samuel Phillippe called on me and gave me a very interesting account of her father. Among other things she stated that after her father’s death Joseph Jefferson, the actor, called at their house and purchased one of her father’s rods. Mr. Solon C. Phillippe, of Easton, Pa., a son of Samuel Phillippe, furnished me with the following notes concern- ing his father: “Samuel Phillippe was born August 9, 1801, in Reading, Pa., and died in Easton, Pa., May 25, 1877. He went to Easton when about sixteen years old, where he learned the trade of gunsmith with Mr. Peter Young. He was a skilled workman in wood or metal. He made violins and fishing rods in addition to his regu- lar work as a gunsmith. He received a silver medal for one of his violins from the Franklin Institute Fair, at Philadelphia. He made the first “ Kinsey ” fishing hooks from patterns furnished by Phineus Kinsey, of Easton, Pa. He was a good trout fisher, and fished at times in company with Thad. Norris, of Philadelphia, and Judge Jas. Madison Porter, Colonel T. R. Sitgreaves, Wm. Green, Phineus Kinsey, John and Abraham DeHart, Sheriff Heck- man, and others of Easton. “He visited a number of places with Mr. Thad. Norris, when the latter was seeking a location fora trout hatchery, and which was finally located near Bloomsburg, N. J. Mr. Norris often saw Phillippe at work on split-bamboo rods in his shop. Charles F. Murphy, himself a noted rod maker, of Newark, N. J., also visited Phillippe to learn something of his method of making split-bam- boo rods. 149 Book OF THE BLACK BASs. “Tn his first experiments Phillippe made tips and second joints of two, and then three sections of split-bamboo, enamel outside, with butts of solid cane or ash. But these rods would not cast the fly true. He then made the joints of four sections, and found that they would cast perfectly in any direction. He then made com- plete rods of four sections, including the butt, and later of six sections or strips; the enamel was always on the outside. These rods were for his own use, but afterward he made some for his friends, one of the first being for Colonel T. R. Sitgreaves, with ash butt and joints of four-section split-bamboo. “His books show that the first split-bamboo rod sold was in 1848. This was a four-section rod in three pieces, all split-bamboo, including the butt, His first rods were made certainly as early as 1845. Solon Phillippe learned rod making, in addition to the trade of gunsmith, from his father. In 1859 Solon made a com- plete rod of six sections; the handpiece, 18 inches long, was made of twelve sections of hard wood. In 1876 he made a three- piece rod, with handpiece of red-wood, and balance of rod of eight sections or strips, four of split-bamboo, and four of snakewood, alternating.” Following are extracts from letters relating to this sub- ject from some of my correspondents, as evidence to cor- roborate my opinion that Samuel Phillippe was the first maker of the split-bamboo rod: From Mr. Geo. W. Stout, of Easton, Pa.: “T came to this town in 1851. I made my first split-bamboo rod in 1860, and got my idea from Phillippe’s rods. I was an amateur only, and never made more than a dozen in all. * * * Ex- Sheriff Thos. Heckman, now in his eighty-sixth year, was a life- long acquaintance of Phillippe, and often went fishing with him. He is well preserved, with an excellent memory, and is good authority. He says he knows that Samuel Phillippe made split- bamboo rods in 1846. Edward Innes, a man of repute, aged about sixty-seven, remembers seeing him making one of these rods in 1847. You may rely implicitly on the evidence of Heckman and Innes, who both fished with Sam before, and many years after, 1846. Innes was much at Sam’s shop before 1847, and fixes the FrisuHine Rops. 141 date by its being just before he removed to Philadelphia, where he resided several years.” From Mr. Thos. Heckman, ex-Sheriff of Easton, Pa.: “T knew Sam Phillippe a great many years, some sixty or seventy. I have fished with him many times, sometimes for a week’s camping in the mountains of Monroe County. He was the first man in this part of the country to build a split-bamboo rod. He made two for me, one of which is still in good condition. To my best recollection he built his first rod about 1846; he made his own ferrules, rings, and keepers.” From Abbey & Imbrie, of New York City: “ Your account of the origin of the split-bamboo rod is perfectly correct. Our Mr. Abbey, the writer, was the active member of Andrew Clerk & Co. at the time of the origination, by Mr. Phil- lippe, of the split-bamboo rod, and is, therefore, well acquainted with its history down to the present time.” From Mr. Chas. F. Murphy, of Newark, N. J.: “Mr. Chas. Luke, of this city, formerly of Easton, Pa., used to fish and hunt with Mr. Phillippe, and frequented his workshop, where he saw him use split-bamboo for fly rods certainly as far back as 1848. Luke moved from Easton to Newark in 1850. I am very certain you can give Phillippe credit for the discovery of split-bamboo for fly rods without fear of being contradicted. While making rods for Andrew Clerk & Co., Mr. Abbey, of that firm, showed Mr. Green and myself a rod made by Mr. Phillippe, the top and second joint made of split-bamboo, with butt joint made from white ash. I made the first split-bamboo salmon rod, also the first black bass rod of split-bamboo.” From Dr. W. W. Bowlby, of New York City: “ My earliest recollection of the split-bamboo rod dates back te about the year 1852. At that time I lived in New Jersey, near 142 Book oF THE Buack Bass. Easton, Pa., and fished in the same waters in New Jersey and Pennsylvania with an old gunsmith of Easton, known among us as ‘Old Sam Phillippe.” It was about the year above named that I saw a split-bamboo rod in his possession, and he informed me at the time that he was the originator of the idea; and to him, I earnestly believe, belongs the credit of having first conceived the idea of constructing a rod from such material.” While certain parties were compelled to concede the pri- ority of Phillippe in this matter, they sought to detract somewhat from his laurels by pronouncing his rods crude affairs, with the added remark that they were not “com- plete,” having white ash butts. Now, judging from the rod in my possession, old Sam Phillippe knew just what a trout fly rod should be in its action, both in casting a fly Philippe split-bamboo rod in possession of the author. and in playing a trout; and it is on these qualities of a rod that its merits should be judged, rather than on the style of its construction or fine appearance. Of course, it is better, and desirable, to have beauty of form combined with excellence of action whenever this is possible; but I have seen hundreds of split-bamboo rods that, while they were all that could be desired as to style and appearance, were sadly lacking as to the purposes and uses for which they were constructed. The ash butt of my Phillippe rod gives just the right amount of backbone, and the bamboo joints just the requi- FisH1nG Robs. 143 site’ pliancy and resiliency needed in a fly rod. Its joints are just as straight and intact as when first made. It is as honest and reliable, and, I might say, as perfect a rod, so far as its uses and action are concerned, as some of my modern rods, “ complete” though they may be. But old Sam Phillippe also made rods entirely of split- bamboo, and of six sections as well, afterward, and, as I now believe, before any other maker attempted the con- struction of a split-bamboo rod. And that he improved on his earlier efforts those who saw the silver-mounted six- section rod in my exhibit at the Chicago World’s Fair can bear witness. The first split-bamboo rods for the trade were made by Mr. Charles F. Murphy, of Newark, who made the first split-bamboo salmon-rod in 1865, which Dr. Andrew Clerk took to Scotland, where it proved a success. Subsequently, Genio C. Scott took the same rod to the St. Lawrence, and, on his return, published an interesting account of his trip and the use of the rod, in Wilkes’ “ Spirit of the Times,” in the same year. The first split-bamboo black bass rod was made by Mr. Murphy, in 1866. To Andrew Clerk & Co., and their successors, Abbey & Imbrie, belong the credit: and honor of bringing this rod to its present state of perfection and prominence. ‘They were the first patrons of Phillippe, Murphy, and Leonard, and gave them every assistance and encouragement. The best form of the split-bamboo rod, in my opinion, as proved by actual service, is the round, six-section rod. Many experiments have been made to improve upon this method. The hexagonal rod is claimed to be preferable to the round rod, inasmuch as there is no cutting away of 144. Book OF THE BuAckK Bass. the surface enamel or outside siliceous coating, at the angles, as in the formation of the round rod, and is there- fore a stronger rod. While this looks plausible enough it has no foundation in fact. The hexagonal rod is not a true six-sided figure, but rather a round figure with six angles; for the face of each section is of course slightly rounded, or convex, as it originally existed in the cane, and the extremely small amount of outside surface that is taken off at the angles to make the rod round does not amount to much, or weaken the rod a particle. In my opinion a round rod will cast truer in every direction. Another plan has been advocated, to reverse the process in sawing the strips, and place the enamel or outside coating at the interior of the rod. And still another, and some- what better plan, by the way, has been proposed, more especially for tips, as follows: me mal The shaded sides of the sections represent the outer coat- ing. The sections are to be pressed together, and glued in the position in which they are drawn in the figure, which brings the enamel of each strip partly inside and partly out- side; the piece is then worked down to a round form, hay- ing the center of enamel, and the circumference of alter- nate strips of inside and a small portion of the siliceous or outside layer. Then these rods have been made of eight and nine strips ; but there is no real merit in any of these last-mentioned 2. CARI Sa Ree FisHinea Rops. , 145 plans, and the six-section, outside enamel, hexagonal or round, is the only common-sense, practical plan. A first-class split-bamboo rod is strong enough for all the emergencies of bait- or fly-fishing if properly handled, but in England a steel wire center is added by one maker, and spiral wire ribbing by another, though the latter is for whole cane rods. In this country, natural bamboo rods have been closely wound with linen thread to add stiffness and strength. The best plan to meet these requirements is that patented by Mr. J. M. Kenyon, of Toledo, Ohio, and consists in closely winding with very fine silk from butt to tip, and using several coats of transparent varnish. The rod when finished is a beautiful object, requiring the aid of a magnifying glass to see the silk wrapping. It is called the “silkien ” rod, and is also made by the T. H. Chubb Rod Co., Post Mills, Vt. The first rod made on this prin- ciple that I ever saw was alluded to in the first edition of this book. It was spirally wrapped with fine strips of rattan. In appearance it was a beauty, but in practice a complete failure. Buack Bass Batt Rops. The black bass and its mode of capture, prior to 1870, was altogether too much neglected, if not entirely ignored, by most writers of that period upon the gentle art, either from a lack of interest, or a want of proper information upon the subject. Some works that were held in the highest esteem contained the least information upon black bass angling, and even that little was unreliable and un- satisfactory. As a rule, our old angling authors damned the black bass with faint praise, and gave but the most primitive methods for its capture. 10 146 Book OF THE BLACK Bass. Most writers of that time devoted their attention ex- clusively to the salmon and brook trout among the fresh- water game-fishes, or to the striped bass, bluefish and weak- fish, among the salt-water species. While acknowledging the game qualities and fine sport afforded the angler by these different species, and which acknowledgment is founded upon ample personal experience with them all, I regard the black bass as one of our gamest fishes; and an experience of more than forty years has convinced me that the sport afforded by it is not surpassed by the pursuit of any other member of the finny tribe. Thirty years ago a person entering a tackle shop in a western town and inquiring for black bass tackle, would be presented with a rod from twelve to sixteen feet long, weighing from one to two pounds, a large brass reel, with a handle like a coffee-mill crank, a line more suitable for a chalk line, and a large ungainly hook with a side bend — and all this formidable array of clumsy apparatus to do battle with such a thoroughbred and noble foe as the black bass! Combination rods, general rods, perch rods, cheap striped-bass tackle, et hoc genus omne, had been, as a rule, manufactured for the western market, and sold for black bass fishing. This was the more surprising as the black bass inhabited so many of the waters of the Union, from New England to Florida, and from Maryland to Missouri. He was, moreoyer, the acknowledged peer of the brook trout for gameness by those who knew him best, and it was “a con- summation devoutly to be wished” that as much skill should be displayed in his capture, and as elegant and. as suitable tackle employed for the purpose as in the case of his speckled rival. Those enthusiastic and observant anglers who learned FisuHine Rops. 147 from experience that there was a want not supplied in black bass rods, as offered by the trade, and who possessed sufficient mechanical skill, constructed their own rods and fished in their own way; and as these worthy souls were generally regarded as authority in their respective localities on the subject of black bass fishing, and not without reason, their particular style of rod was adopted in their particular locality as the “ perfect bass rod.” This will account for the marked difference of opinion upon this subject in dif- ferent sections of the country, for each such rod was made in accordance with the style of fishing, and the character of the waters to be fished. Many years ago, while residing in Wisconsin, I con- ceived the idea of writing a book on the black bass, in order to do justice to a fish that seemed to be but little under- stood, and likewise to divest the sport of black bass angling, as it then existed, of some of its primitive and disagreeable features, and give it a higher place in the catalogue of noble sports. I was convinced that it was only necessary to present the claims of the black bass in a proper light, and to give a description of the most suitable tackle for its capture, to induce the angling fraternity to accord full justice to a noble fish, which I felt satisfied was, for several reasons, destined to become the leading game-fish of America. Accordingly, I began making notes of my observations of the habits of the black bass, and was collecting cata for the intended treatise, when, fortunately and oppor- tunely, Mr. Charles Hallock founded and established that excellent journal, “ Forest and Stream,” which came just when it was most needed. Here then was my opportunity to reach the anglers of the country, and I was not slow to 148 Book OF THE Buack Bass. embrace it, and at once began to champion the cause of the black bass. : I prepared a series of articles on the black bass and black bass angling, and described at some length the proper rod, reel, line, hook, etc., and mode of using them, to render it not only feasible, but practicable, to convince the angler of the high order of game qualities inherent to the black bass, and that by the use of suitable tackle it would not suffer by a comparison with other game-fishes. The seed of these articles was sown in good ground, and yielded abundantly. I received letters from hundreds of black bass anglers, in all parts of the country, thanking and complimenting me for the ideas suggested, and for espous- ing the cause of their favorite fish, the black bass. The result proved far beyond my most hopeful anticipations, and I have the satisfaction of knowing that to-day there is no game-fish more eagerly sought for, and none that 1s being more rapidly introduced into new waters by its ad- vocates and admirers. In February, 1875, I contributed an article, entitled “The Coming Black Bass Rod,” to “ Forest and Stream,” which gave a description of my idea of a proper rod for black bass angling, founded on many years experience, and the use of many different rods for this purpose. Mr. C. F. Orvis, of Manchester, Vermont, at once began the manu- facture of a black bass rod from those suggestions, and he was soon followed by other manufacturers, who, seeing the necessity for a new departure from the old beaten path, soon began to make short and light black bass rods more in accordance with the spirit of the age and the demands of their customers, and thus replaced the former long, heavy and clumsy affairs by the elegant, short, light and pliant rod of the present day. And not only has the length FrisHinG Rops. 149 and weight of bait rods been reduced, but fly rods of all patterns have been much reduced in length, during the past fifteen years, to their great advantage. THE HENSHALL BLAcK Bass Minnow Rop. While a rod may vary somewhat, according to the mode of angling, there is no good reason for such a wide diver- sity of opinion as obtains on the question of black bass rods. For instance: Fishing from the bank of a swift and nar- row stream, wading the bars of a wide river, or fishing from a boat on a quiet lake, seem in themselves apparently very different processes; but in reality they are only slightly different means of securing the same end — the capture of the black bass with a minnow for bait, for my remarks apply only to bait fishing, and a properly con- structed rod would answer in either place and fulfill either condition, when accompanied by a light, freely-rendering reel, together with a fine line. An artistic angler, fishing for trout or black bass with the fly, would use his fly rod in either place — from a boat, from the bank, or while wading the stream; he would use the same rod under any and every circumstance, wherever he had room to make a cast. The black bass bait fisher will in time become as consistent as the fly fisher, but it will only be when he adopts the proper rod, which rod I will now endeavor to describe. I start out with the proposition that a first-class Ameri- ‘can, single-handed trout fly rod is, per se, the very perfec- tion of rods and the chef’dauvre of the rod-maker’s art. Such a rod for general work is about ten feet long, and is made of split-bamboo, or a combination of ash and lance- wood, weighing from six to eight ounces. With such a rod, properly handled, either line, leader or hook may part, 150 Book OF THE BLAck Bass. but the rod will remain intact. It combines all the essen- tial qualities of a good rod, viz: balance, lightness, strength, elasticity, and plancy. A salmon rod is only a trout fly rod enlarged, proportionately, in every particular, and made to be used with two hands instead of one. Now, if all fish were caught with the fly, there would be no need for other rods than trout and salmon fly rods; but as such, unfortunately, is not the case, we are com- pelled to adopt other rods in accordance with the mode of fishing, the character of the fish to be caught, and the kind of bait to be used. But whatever may be the nature of the rod that is to be made, let this general rule or principle be followed in its construction: Let the rod conform as nearly as possible to the typical rod, 7. e., the trout fly rod, as is consistent with the manner of service required of it. If we follow this rule we can not go very far astray. Acting upon this principle, then, I have found in my experience that the essential qualities or attributes of a good black bass rod for bait-fishing, are much the same as the typical rod for balance, weight, strength, and elastic- ity. but stiffer, or not so supple. The slight stiffening of the rod makes it correspondingly heavier, and in order to maintain the same relative weight, we must cut down the length of the rod to eight or eight and a half feet, which is found by experience to be far superior to longer rods for black bass fishing. As a comparatively long, pliant rod is best for casting a fly, so is a short, stiffish rod best for casting a minnow. With a rod of this character, and a free-running, multiply- ing reel, it is an easy matter to cast from thirty to forty yards. The situation of the reel upon the butt must be a compromise between the single and double-handed fly rods ; for though the rod is used almost entirely with one hand, a ee Fisuine Rops. 163 a yet there are emergencies when both hands must be used, for occasionally a six-pound bass or a fifteen-pound pick- erel, pike-perch, or catfish will be hooked, or an unusually bold or fierce fighting bass may get the advantage of one and take to the weeds or rocks. It is also essential to have enough room for the hand below the reel in casting, as the thumb must control the running off of the line, and prevent the reel from overrunning or backlashing. It must have light standing guides, instead of the rings used on the fly rod. The rod from which my original description of the “Coming Black Bass Rod” was taken was eight feet and three inches long, in three joints; the first joint or butt was composed of white ash, and the second joint and tip of lancewood; it weighed just eight ounces; it was finely balanced, with a true bend from butt piece to tip; with it I killed hundreds of black bass, weighing from two to six pounds, and pike from five to fifteen pounds. I used it many seasons, and failed to see where it could be improved. I oftentimes cast out my entire line of fifty yards when casting with the wind. I felt justly proud of the merits of the rod, for I made it myself. STANDARD HENSHALL Rop. The following are the correct specifications of the rod just described ; it should be borne in mind that the diame- ters are of the wood, or more properly of the inside diame- ter of the female ferrule, where the joints are concerned ; also that the joints are flush, or non-doweled, and with reel-bands instead of a solid metal reel-seat : Total length of rod, 8 feet, 3 inches. Length of each piece (without ferrule), 33 inches. 152 Book OF THE BLACK Bass. Length of grip (from extreme butt to reel-seat), 7 inches. Length of reel-seat, 4 inches. Diameter of greatest bulge of grip, 1 inch. Diameter of butt cap, % of an inch. Diameter of reel-seat, 7% of an inch. Diameter of small end of butt piece, % of an inch. Diameter of small end of second piece, %4 of an inch. Diameter of extreme tip, 3/32 of an inch. From the reel-seat to the end of butt piece is a gradual taper. The specifications and measurements as given above are also correct for a split-bamboo rod where reel-bands are used instead of a solid metal reel-seat, and a rod thus con- structed will weigh but eight ounces; but if a metal reel- seat is preferred, with the butt-piece tapering rapidly from it (instead of a gradual taper), ferrules of 4; of an inch less diameter may be employed, making a rod of eight ounces, or with reel-bands, of seven and one-half ounces in weight. When the butt of the Henshall rod is constructed of any wood heavier than ash —that is, when the entire rod is made of split-bamboo, lancewood, bethabara, or greenheart — the best plan, in order that the weight of the rod may not exceed eight ounces, and that its balance and action be not impaired, is to use a short “ handle ” of lighter wood. I have always been partial to a butt-piece, including the “grip,” being fashioned from a single piece of wood, and with reel-bands instead of a metal reel-seat; and where this is done, with an artistically-fashioned, swelling hand- piece, and with a graceful hollow taper from the reel-seat to the rod proper, it presents, to my eye, a certain adapt- ive beauty and fitness that I fail to see in the short, stubby handle affixed to many modern rods. However, this is best accomplished with some such light wood as ash, black wal- nut, or red cedar; and where a heavier wood, or split-bam- FisHinG@ Rops. 153 boo, is used for butt-pieces, the short handle of lighter ma- terial, if artistically fashioned, is perhaps the better way in order to preserve the qualities of pliability and balance. The handle comprises the grip, reel-seat, and from two to four inches above the reel-seat, making a handle of from thirteen to fifteen inches long, into which the butt-piece proper is inserted, the joint being closed by a tapered metal collar or winding check. The diameter of the lower end of the butt-piece (where it joins the handle) should not exceed the diameter of the upper, or smaller end of the butt-piece, more than one- eighth of an inch; that is, the inside diameter of the wind- ing check must not be greater than one-half inch, where a three-eighths ferrule is used on the smaller end. There are various ways of finishing the “grip” of the handle, which may be formed of the same wood as the handle, and smoothed and polished, presenting a very beautiful appearance. Where it is desired to obtain a firmer hold of the hand, it may be grooved with fine trans- verse corrugations, or be fluted longitudinally. Another method is to wrap the grip with cord, or strips of rattan ; or the grip may be fashioned of hard rubber, and may be smooth, or corrugated, or fluted. The best grip, however, is one of cork, which allows a firmer hold of the hand than any other material, and being lighter, can be of larger caliber. | Some rod manufacturers depart from these specifications by making the grip of the butt several inches longer, but this only adds to the weight and length of the rod without being of any real benefit; on the contrary, it is a positive disadvantage to single-handed rods to have a grip, or hand- piece, extending from nine to twelve inches below the reel- seat. Book .OF THE Buack BAss. 154 ‘09 Po qqnyD ‘H ‘L—'pow TleysueH ooquivg yd ‘'§ ‘DIA <— po Sr oe i eee a TNT SSS SSSA Raa '¢ “ALA ‘lL DIA FisHine Robs. Lap The following measurements are of a Leonard split-bam- boo Henshall rod that I have used for many years: Total length of rod, 8 feet, 1 inch. Length of grip, 6 inches. Greatest bulge of grip, 1 inch. Length of reel-seat, 4 inches. Diameter of reel-seat, % of an inch. Diameter of butt piece at handle, 13/32 of an inch. Diameter of butt piece at small end, 11/52 of an inch. Diameter of second piece at small end, 7/32 of an inch. Diameter of extreme tip, 3/32 of an inch. Weight of rod, 644 ounces. This rod from being especially well made, and of selected material, is as powerful as an eight-ounce ash and lance- wood rod. By comparing its measurements with the stand- ard rod of eight ounces, before given, a rod of intermediate weight may be constructed by slightly increasing the diame- ters of the Leonard rod, said diameters being of the male ferrules. Wie. 4. The bethabara Henshall rod, of the standard length and proportion, is somewhat heavier than one of ash and lance- wood, but preferred by many on that account. In other qualities it is an excellent rod, more resilient than green- heart or lancewood, and is spoken of in the highest terms by those who have used it. I can heartily recommend it, 156 Book OF THE BLACK Bass. also, having had much practical experience with it. Mal- colm A. Shipley, Philadelphia, makes a specialty of betha- bara rods. The standard Henshall rod, of ash and lancewood, has a true and gradual taper from the reel-seat to the tip, which gives it a back, which, while just stiff enough for casting a minnow, is sufficiently pliable and yielding to give a cor- rect working to the rod under the play of a lively fish. And just here is where so many rods fail — they are made too weak in the butt-piece, or the upper two-thirds of it, usually by a rapid and concave taper to reduce the caliber of the rod at this point, in order to gain lightness. But this can only be done at the expense of weakening the rod, and spoiling its action. When a rod has too weak a back, or too slender a butt at this point, it causes the rod to be top-heavy, and pro- duces what is known as a “ double action” in the rod, or a “kick in the handle;” qualities which were sought for in some salmon fly rods in the old country, as it was sup- posed that a fly could be cast farther with rods of this character. But it was necessary that the angler should become thoroughly educated in the handling of a rod with this peculiarity to be enabled to use it with any degree of satisfaction. However much this principle may have been desired by British salmon fishers, it becomes the very worst feature in a black bass minnow rod. With this defect in a bait rod, it is impossible to cast with any accuracy, or to any ereat distance. And, moreover, it produces in the angler a lack of confidence in his rod, for it “ feels weak ” to him at the very point where it should feel the strongest, and really the rod would give way at just this very point under a heavy strain. ees met S on et aT bear Sine FisHine Rops. 157 But, to refer to my rod again: I can easily cast a min- now from forty to fifty yards, and with great accuracy, the back being just stiff and yielding enough for this purpose. The bend from the last third of the butt-piece to the tip forms a true curve under the strain of a hard- pulling fish, which is the bend so desirable, and so hard to obtain. The strain falls equally upon the entire rod, so that it is impossible for me to tell just where it would break. The weak part of an imperfect rod can always be felt by an expert angler, and he knows perfectly well, while” playing a fish, just where the rod is weakest, and just where it would fail. I have been informed by some makers that occasionally an angler will order a Henshall rod with the butt extending below the reel clamps a foot or more, so as to reach under the elbow, and thus form a point dappui. This demand is founded on the use of the old-style rods, which were so heavy and long as to require either this support, or what was worse, the holding of the rod with both hands. The object of the modern black bass rod is to dispense entirely with this ungraceful and clumsy style, and enable the rod to be used with the hand alone, as in fly fishing. The novice will be sometimes told by theoretical anglers that he must procure a rod which accords with his size, strength, and general build; that a rod which suits one angler, will be too long, too short, too heavy, or too light for another. Now, this is all gammon; a rod: must be made to suit the kind of fish, and the mode of fishing, with- out any reference whatever to the angler himself. In ordering a shot-gun that is to be used on all kinds of game, from the lordly buck to the dainty quail, it is of the highest importance that the gun should be built to fit the sportsman in every particular, and he then varies the charge 158 ~ Book OF THE BuLack Bass. according to the game. But there is no analogy between . a shot-gun and a fishing rod; the latter weighs but ounces, where the former weighs pounds, and the weight of a rod for black bass angling will suit a weakly youth, or the strongest man, as well. A half-pound in weight is of no moment as compared to the strength of a man; and it is all stuff, and the sheerest nonsense, to talk of making a rod of this weight conform to the muscular requirements of any individual. REG SUDIAS Eien) eapiisie's es oisiciecs s s-ctsis Red. Red Red Bord Baliimorey: 5 %0.).0sce''s bse ss Yellow Black Black WEOMOMOWOC. «2.820% vesccec cess ce Yellow. Brown. Dun. Queen of the Water............. Yellow. Gray. Red. Sie) ae eee Yellow. Gray. Brown, — BE SEOMISOMIG ohicveydeicitiaics ctenie's nie ateiace Yellow. Brown. Green. aR ARR SRR Ee Rages ae gee Black. Yellow. Black. NAA IRONS ot alse ed sinsicces cca Green. Gray. Gray. = “BULL STG Si) AAR PN het Si ee eee Green. Brown. Red. 0) SAE nn Harl White. Brown. PERE eI U eae ree wicisce eoeisiseltiawiee we Harl. Gray White MAME BeL MANET. S-cista- exis corteetene sows White White White 250 Book OF THE BLAcK Bass. The foregoing list embraces all of the flies that I use in black bass fishing, except the red, black, brown, gray, and yellow hackles. The last four in the,table are especially useful on dark days, or toward evening. Most of the flies in the table are general favorites, and in my own hands have all proved very killing. I merely mention them, to the exclusion of others, as a general guide, for each angler will soon adopt a few flies for his own fishing, none of which may have been mentioned above, but he will nevertheless continue to use them, and swear by them on all occasions; and this is one of the glorious privileges of the art of angling. As a father naturally thinks his own children the best, smartest, and handsomest, I may be pardoned for placing in the above list —and strongly recommending as general flies — my polka, oriole, Oconomowoc, and Henshall, leav- ing to others the praise or condemnation due them. ‘The formulas for their construction are as follows: Polka.— Body, scarlet, with gold twist; hackle, red; wings, black with white spots (guinea fowl) ; tail, brown and white, mixed. | Oriole.— Body, black, with gold tinsel; hackle, black; wings, orange or yellow; tail, black and yellow, mixed. Oconomowoc.— Body, creamy-yellow; hackle, white and dun (hairs from deer’s tail) ; tail, ginger; wings, cinnamon (woodcock). Henshall.—Body, peacock har]; hackle, white hairs from deer’s tail; wings, gray (dove); tail, two fibers (green) from peacock’s tail-feather. The Lord Baltimore fly originated with Prof. Alfred M. Mayer, of the Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, New Jersey. Its formula is as follows: Lord Baltimore.— Body, orange ; hackle, tail and wings, black, with small upper wings of jungle-cock. — ARTIFICIAL FLIEs. 251 Professor Mayer and I, being natives of Baltimore, and knowing that black and yellow formed a good and taking combination in an artificial fly, each designed, unknown to the other, a fly to embody these colors; and as they are the heraldic colors of the State of Maryland, and were the heraldic colors of Lord Baltimore, Professor Mayer aptly named his trout fly, “ Lord Baltimore ;” while I designated my black bass fly, the “oriole,” from the Baltimore oriole, or hanging bird, which beautiful songster was named in honor of Lord Baltimore, as its colors were the same as his own — black and orange. | The following fly is one of my own designs, and at times is very killing. It is constructed entirely of metallic colors, and I give its formula in order that any one feeling an interest in it may try it: Golden Dustman.—Body, bronze (peacock harl) ; hackle, golden yellow; wings, bronze (wild turkey) ; tail, fibers from the crest of golden pheasant. Abbey & Imbrie have patented and manufacture what they call the “ fluttering fly.” It is made in the same patterns and in the same manner as the conventional fly, except that the hook is reversed; that is, the tail of the fly is at the end of the shank, while the head is near the bend of the hook, or opposite to the point. Some of the best flies for black bass that I have seen are tied by George H. Burtis, Worcester, Mass. He uses the best material to be obtained, and his flies are at once artistic, beautiful and practical. Charles F. Orvis has long been favorably known for his excellent bass flies, and he sustains his well-earned reputa- tion for careful and superior work, and is indorsed by hundreds of our best anglers. The following is a list of flies that have been employed | 252 Book OF THE BLACK Bass. for bass fishing, and their construction does not differ much from that described by John Gay two centuries ago: “To frame the little animal, provide All the gay hues that wait on female pride; Let nature guide thee. Sometimes golden wire The shining bellies of the fly require; The peacock’s plumes thy tackle must not fail, Nor the dear purchase of the sable’s tail. Each gaudy bird some slender tribute brings, And lends the growing insect proper wings: Silks of all colors must their aid impart, And every fur promote the fisher’s art.” Professor.— Body, yellow; hackle (legs), golden brown ; tail, scarlet ibis; wings, yellow, mottled. Queen of the Water Body, dark yellow, gold tinsel ; hackle, red; wings, mallard, mottled. Grizzly King.— Body, green; hackle, gray; tail, red; wings, pin-tail duck or mallard. Soldier.— Body, scarlet; hackle, red; wings, gray. Montreal.— Body, red; hackle, scarlet; wings, wild turkey. Governor Alvord.— Body, peacock harl; hackle, red; tail, red ibis; under wings, brown, upper wings, drab. Seth Green.— Body, green, with yellow stripe; hackle, red; wings, brown (woodcock). Abbey.— Body, scarlet, gold twist; hackle, red; tail, golden pheasant ; wings, pin-tail duck. Ferguson.— Body, yellow, gold twist; hackle, green; tail, peacock, yellow and scarlet; wings, yellow and scarlet, and wild turkey. Kingdom.— Body, white, striped with green; hackle, red; wings, woodcock (brown). ARTIFICIAL FLIES. 253 Gold Spinner.— Body, orange, gold tinsel; hackle, light red; wings, gray. Captain.— Body, gray, and peacock harl; hackle, red; tail, scarlet, green and wood-duck ; wings, gray. Ibis.— Body, scarlet mohair, silver twist; tail, hackle, and wings of the red ibis. The following flies are also good ones, some being great favorites with certain anglers: Reuben Wood.— Body, white, with red head; hackle, brown; wings and tail, rayed feathers of mallard. Dr. Fowler.— Body, white; tail, scarlet; hackle, scarlet and white; wings, red ibis and white. Green Drake.— Body, white, ribbed with black; hackle, ginger; tail; dark; wings, mottled green and yellow. Gray Drake.— Body, dark gray; hackle, gray; tail, dark; wings, gray (mallard). Brown Drake.—Body, golden brown; hackle, brown; tail, dark brown; wings, golden brown. Holberton.— Body, orange, gold tinsel; hackle, peacock harl and scarlet; tail, wood-duck and scarlet; under wings, red ibis and yellow; upper wings, peacock and wood-duck. Shoemaker.— Body, alternate rings of salmon and gray; hackle, light red; tail, wood-duck; wings, mallard (gray). Superior.— Body, dark claret; hackle, brown; tail, blue macaw ; wings, wild turkey. General Ilooker.— Body, alternate yellow and green rings; hackle, red; tail, wood-duck; wings, tail feathers of ruffed grouse. Quaker.— Body, gray; hackle, yellow; wings, horned owl’s wing. King of the Water.— Body, scarlet, gold tinsel; hackle, red; wings, bright mottled, mallard. 254 Book OF THE BLACK Bass. No. 1. Polka, No. 2. Coachman. No. 3. Hackle. No. 4. Bumble Bee. No. 5. Abbey. No. 6. Grizzly King. ARTIFICIAL FLIES. 255 McLeod.— Body, emerald green, with gold twist; tag, yellow and red floss; wings, dark mottled brown; tail, green drake, with red ibis and mottled yellow; hackle, yellow; antennz or feelers, scarlet. Imperial.— Body, red, with silver twist; tag, silver; tail (whisk), red and white; hackle, black and white; - wings, large, grayish white, bordered with black; feelers, scarlet. ; Green and Gold.— Body, emerald green, gold twist; tag, scarlet; tail, white and read; hackle, yellow; wings, olive green. La Belle Body, pearly blue, silver twist; tag, red and gold; hackle, blue; wings, pure white; tail, red and white. Royal Coachman.— Body, scarlet, and peacock harl ; tail, pin-tail duck; hackle, brown; wings, white. The White Moths, or Millers, are excellent flies for moon- light evenings, or at dusk. They may be pure white, or all white with yellow body, or all white with gray wings. The bodies should be made full and fluffy. The hackles and palmers are made with bodies of vari- ous hues, as black, green, red, or yellow, or peacock harl, with either black, red, brown, yellow or gray legs. A pure white hackle is very killing about dark. A most excellent hackle is made from the hairs of a deer’s tail, somewhat in the fashion of the “ bob,” so extensively used in Florida and Texas. The three “typical” hackles of Mr. H. Cholmondely- Pennell, and which he recommends to the exclusion of all other flies, are described as follows: Green.— Dark green body; very dark green hackle for both legs and whisk. Brown.— Body,’ dark orange; fiery or cinnamon-brown hackle for legs and whisk. 256 Book OF THE BLAcK Bass. Yellow.— Body, golden yellow; darkish golden-olive hackle for legs and whisk. As I have described quite enough for the beginner, and, perhaps, too many, I will only allude to some by name, which may often be found equal to the above, and, for some waters, superior: Bumble bee, jungle cock, Hoskins, California, moose- head, widow, academy, blue jay, Page, yellow sally, blue and drab, pheasant, raven, claret, tippulium, Davis, Tan- ner, white and green, motley, premier, black and tan, black and gold, purple bass, fire-fly, little egg, gray coflin, brown coflin, sand-fly, stone-fly, hawthorn, dark mackerel, etc. — It will be seen that the angler has quite an extensive list to choose from, for most of the flies named are kept in stock by our best dealers. As a rule, the smallest bass flies should be selected for general fishing; and those of subdued tints will be found the most successful, saving on the exceptional occasions already referred to. As has been mentioned, most of the flies named are patterned after trout flies of the same names; and, while some of the latter are large enough, quite a number are too small, and must be enlarged somewhat for bass flies. But there are flies, and enough, to suit those of every taste, even should the angler be so fastidious and dainty as “Ye Sunberry Fisher,” as described by “ Punch;” “Ye Sunberrye fysher has flies of all feathers, For all sorts of seasons, in all sorts of weathers. Flies when ye Springtide is blustrie and showerie, Flies when ye Summer is grassie and bowerie, Flies when ye Autumn is golden and grainie, For hot weather, cold weather, mistie, or rainie. Red-spinner, palmer, black peacock and gray, Yellow dun, golden dun, Mareh brown, and May, Sand-fly and stone-fly, and alder and gnat, Black midge and marlow bug — all round his hat.” ARTIFICIAL FLIES. 257 The Japanese are, perhaps, the most artistic and expert fly-tyers in the world. Some of their creations in this line are indeed marvelous. ‘They excel particularly in the smallest flies, which have short, plump bodies, and hackles that stand nearly at right angles to the body. They are mostly red, brown, black and gray, are tied on needle- pointed, barbless hooks, and with a minute gilt head; they are remarkably life-like when cast on the water. They also tie flies on barbed hooks, and with wings, but mostly for export. At the Chicago Columbian Exposition I was much im- pressed with the display of artificial flies in the Japanese exhibit in my department. One day, as I was judging their exhibit of fishing tackle, accompanied by the members of the jury of award and a number of Japanese officials, I called their attention to a case of artificial flies that were tied in bunches and hung in front of the exhibit. The case was open to inspection at all times, not being covered with glass. I remarked: “ Now, here are some flies that are very life-like. They look as if one could squeeze the juice out of them; as if they might take wing and fly away.” At that I lifted up a bunch with my lead-pencil, when, lo and behold, one flew out from the bunch, balanced itself on its wings a moment, and then took an upward flight, disappearing in the sky- light of the building. My auditors stood open-mouthed with astonishment, thinking, doubtless, that I had per- formed some trick of legerdemain. I was startled for a moment, myself, until I saw that it was a moth that had been having a feast of feathers while hiding behind the bunch of flies. 17 258 Book OF THE BLACK Bass. CHAPTER XV. ARTIFICIAL BAITS. “And therefore I have, which I will show to you, an artificial minnow that will catch trout as well as an artificial fly; and it was made by a handsome woman that had a fine hand, and a live minnow lying by her.”— IzAaAK WALTON. PROBABLY in no direction has there been more ingenuity displayed than in the production of artificial baits, such as trolling spoons, spinners, propellers and artificial minnows, frogs, crustacea, insects and nondescripts. TROLLING-Batts — SPoon-BaItTs. The most commonly-used artificial bait for black bass is the spoon-bait or trolling-spoon. It is now made of all shapes, and many sizes; but all are made upon the same general principle, and are merely variations of the original trolling-spoon, which was fashioned from the bowl of a spoon, a single hook being soldered to one end, and a hole drilled in the other end for attaching the line. By trailing or trolling such a spoon at the end of a line from a moving boat, it revolves gracefully beneath the surface of the water, the burnished surfaces flashing at each revolution, and proves quite an effective lure. The changes that have been rung upon the original oval metal spoon, with a single hook, have been, to say the least, remarkable; and it is, indeed, surprising to see the number of forms that have been evolved from that simple implement. Every conceivable shape into which the old spoon could be cut, bent or twisted, and still have it re- volve, has been resorted to; it has been fluted, hammered ARTIFICIAL BAITS. 259 and corrugated; grooved, ribbed and perforated ; embossed, painted and nickel-plated; and doubled and trebled, and made to spin around floats and balls and metal minnows and flies, until the brain begins to whirl, and the eyes become dazed in their contemplation. Some are fearfully and wonderfully made, and are the most cruel and murder- ous-looking instruments of torture ever devised for the use of the followers of the meek and gentle Walton. There is nothing better than the original spoon bowl with a single hook. 'The double and triple hooks, usually attached to the modern spoons, are liable to be crushed and broken by the jaws of a large fish, if hooked in a position favorable to this contingency. Why do manufacturers persist in affixing the triple hook, or triangle, to trolling-spoons, when a single hook is so much more efficient, preferable and humane? ‘There is nothing so effective as the single hook for any kind of fish- ing. ‘The fish is more certain of being hooked, more cer- tain of being landed, and if he breaks away does not have his mouth so torn and lacerated as by the villainous triple hook or gang. I have found dead bass with the entire pre- maxillary bone (upper lip and jaw) torn off by these mur- derous implements. I never see or hear of an angler using or recommending a gang of three or more hooks for trolling the live minnow without setting him down as a pot-fisher ; and all humane and genuine anglers — those who love fair play and use light and elegant tackle — should deprecate and discourage the cruel practice. Trolling-spoons are all made with a concave and a con- vex surface; the latter surface being brightly polished or burnished, while the former is generally painted, and usu- ally of a red color. They are made of tin or brass, and often plated with nickel, silver or gold; but so long as 260 Book OF THE BLAcK Bass. spoon-baits are brightly burnished, it matters not what the material is, for the black bass is not a judge of metals, but will grab at any thing bright and in motion. The depending hook or hooks may be plain, or dressed with a tuft of feathers or braid, called, by courtesy, a “fly ;’ but these fanciful additions, while pleasing to the angler’s eye, do not enhance the “taking” qualities of the lure, for it is the flashing and glancing of the revolv- ing spoon that attracts the fish, and it can not be made more effective by these ornamental appendages, or, as I have sometimes seen, by the addition of a live minnow, or a strip of fat pork! One or two brass swivels should always be attached to the spoon-bait or line, to prevent twisting or kinking. Particular attention should be paid to the hooks of troll- ing-spoons, for many of them are of inferior quality. The trolling-spoon has its legitimate uses, when it is properly made and judiciously employed. There are situ- ations where the small revolving spoon with a single hook can be cast with a light rod and still remain within the pale of legitimate angling; but there is never any excuse for using more than a single hook. As a rule, most persons use spoons too large for black bass, using generally pickerel baits. For the black bass, the spoon should be no larger than the bowl of an ordinary sized tea-spoon, for trolling with the hand-line; and when trolling with the rod, they should be still smaller. I am glad to note that some of our progressive manu. facturers have become convinced that a single hook is better for trolling- and casting-spoons than the triangle or triple-hook, and at the same time more humane. It is a pleasure to me to mention some of them, in this connec- tion, with a description of their wares, for I have long ot aie eer OT. ‘ARTIFICIAL Batts. 261 contended for the relegation of the triangle, and the adop- tion of the single hook. The Andrew B. Hendrix Company make a large line of single-hook lures, which are kept in stock by retail dealers. Their bass fly- spoon, though made of polished tin, is very effec- tive either for trolling or casting, being of the most suitable size. it is fur- nished with a steel snap, by which either a naked hook | or a fly can be af- fixed. One with a still smaller spoon, which is nickel or gold plated, is still better for casting. It has a_ spring- brass snap and brass box-swivel, by which can be at- tached a Sproat hook or a fly. Another one is the fluted casting-spoon, either nickel plated or enameled in white. It is furnished with a Sproat hook and double gut loop. 262 Book OF THE BLACK BAss. The “Irresistible” single-hook trolling-bait made by George H. Burtis, Worcester, Mass., is an elegant article with a gold-plated spoon, a long reinforced gut snell, and a first-class fly, with two bronze box-swivels and a twisted gut leader. It is shown at the bottom of the preceding page. John J. Hildebrandt, Logansport, Ind., makes a line of single-hook lures which are very \ popular with the janglers of the middle west. His trolling-spoon is fitted with a good, serviceable hook, and is a well-made and efficient article. It is made to catch bass and not for show or ornament. His fly-spoons are likewise practical, substantial lures, as they are made by a practical bass angler. He makes also trolling baits with two spoons, some furnished with deer- tail flies. It is worthy of note that the flies are attached to the shaft of plated piano wire by small, patented split- rings, so that they can be readily changed. Swivels are not necessary, inasmuch as the baits swim so perfectly that ARTIFICIAL BAITS. 263 the line is not twisted. In playing a fish the blades will reverse so that weeds are not liable to catch on them. They show decided improvement in every way. ‘The spoons are especially neat and of small size, just what I have advo- cated for years. Abbey & Imbrie have patented a novel trolling device, with single hook, called the “ ghost,” made of aluminum, and constructed on entirely new principles. Its rotary mo- tion may be regulated by curving or straightening the fins. It revolves freely upon the slightest motion, and is es- pecially recommended for surface trolling or shallow water. They also furnish single-hook casting and trolling-spoons, and weedless casts. H. R. Stewart & Co., Chicago, have patented and manu- facture two novelties called the “ pilot,” and “ turn-a-frog.” The former has two pair of aluminum wings, at right angles with each other, with a swivel at each end. It 1s 264 Book OF THE BLACK BAss. designed to regulate the depth at which it is desired to maintain a trolling-spoon or other bait, and is attached at some distance from them. When the line is attached to one end it runs near ®O the surface, but by reversing it, it runs deeper, and as it al- ways swims upright it prevents twisting of the line. The “ turn-a-frog ” is also constructed with two pairs of fins, two horizontal and two vertical, and can also be re- versed. It is in- tended to keep a frog or minnow in an upright position when cast or trolled, and will run deep or shallow as required. Barnard & Markham, Jackson, Mich., make the ‘*‘ Bur- gess weedless spinner,” which is quite a unique lure. It consists of a long- shanked Carlisle hook to which is affixed a spinner of an odd, but effective, shape. It has two wire fenders which precede the hook, thus preventing its catching in weeds or other ob- struction. It is well spoken of by those who have used it. It is designed, especially, for very weedy waters, where it is useless to troll with the ordinary spinners. af, i. - | a | Ff » | ARTIFICIAL BAITS. 265 Other trolling-spoons or baits are made in fanciful shapes; also many styles of minnows, propellers, spinners, etc., but they are no better, and many of them not so good as those before mentioned ; for the nearer a spinning spoon- bait approaches the original spoon, already referred to, the more practical and useful it becomes. There is nothing in this line more beautiful than the abalone shell spoon; and it will always be a “spoon,” for being made of shell it can never be bent or twisted into the fanciful forms of some of the metal ones. It is very ef- fective as a lure, and the smallest sizes are well adapted for the fly-rod in broken waters. ARTIFICIAL MINNOWS. Artificial minnows for trolling, spinning, or casting, are made of metal, glass, wood, and rubber, large and small, and gilded, silvered, or painted in attractive ways. Some of them are quite successful as baits, while others are com- paratively worthless. They are made both in our own country and in England, and as their numbers, and styles, and forms are constantly increasing, I do not deem it ad- visable to particularize or give special descriptions. While I have experimented with many of them, I do not employ them in angling for the black bass. For trolling or spinning, none of them are so effective as the spoon-baits; while for casting, they are not to be compared with the natural minnow, alive or dead. The most effective are made with soft rubber or silk bodies, with propellers, which cause them to spin. The most successful is the “ phantom.” 266 Book OF THE BLAcK Bass. ARTIFICIAL INsEcTs, Etc. Artificial insects, as bees, grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, May-flies, dragon-flies, and likewise artificial mice, frogs, crawfish, hegramites, shrimps, worms, etc., are now made which resemble the original creatures very closely. They are to be used in surface fishing, in the same way as arti- ficial flies, and must be kept in constant motion, otherwise the bass soon discover the deception; but if skillfully used, they are sometimes successful baits. They certainly have the recommendation of cleanliness and general convenience as compared with their original prototypes. Many years ago I was trout fishing on Slate river, the inlet of Gogebic lake, and was returning down stream, homeward bound on account of a heavy rain. I sat in the bow of the boat casting under the banks on either hand as my boatman paddled noiselessly along. On reaching a wider portion of the stream I observed a field-mouse swim- ming across, and when it reached the center of the pool a fine trout rose for it, but as he did so, saw me, turned tail and disappeared. I secured the mouse with the dip-net, and upon my arrival at the hotel I imparted what I had seen to a friend who was very anxious to kill a large trout. The next day he repaired to the spot and succeeded in taking it with the mouse; it weighed fully one and a half pounds, and was a good fish for that stream. THE Bop. Of all baits or lures used in black bass angling, one of the rudest in structure, the most nondescript in appear- ance, yet one of the most effective and killing in actual practice, is the “bob” of the extreme southern states. It has been in use in Florida for more than a century, } i f i 7 4 € " ARTIFICIAL BaAITs. 267 and was first described by that quaint old naturalist, Bar- tram, in 1764. His description and method of using it, are identical with the “ bob ” and its use at the present day in Florida, Louisiana, and Texas. ) The “bob” is composed of a triple hook, or three hooks tied back to back, and invested with a portion of a deer’s tail, in the manner of a large, bushy, hackle, often inter- ° mixed with red and white feathers, or strips of scarlet cloth. It forms a tassel or tuft, somewhat similar to the so-called triple-hook “fly” attached to most trolling- spoons. A single hook, however, is much to be preferred to the triple-hook. 268 Book OF THE BuAck Bass. CHAPTER XVI. NATURAL BAITS. “And, good master, tell me what baits more you remember.”— IzAAK WALTON. MINNOwWs. AMONG anglers, the term minnow is used to express any small fish used for bait, whether adult fish of certain fami- lies, or the young of others. But the term properly be- longs to the family Cyprintipa, which comprises numer- ous genera, and some of the genera are composed of many species. The most generally diffused species are Notropis cor- nutus, the common shiner; Semotilus corporalis, the com- mon chub; Hybopsis kentuckiensis, the horned chub, and the steel back, Campostoma anomalum. The shiner is, by all odds, the best bait for the black bass, being quite silvery, as its name implies, and shows well in the water. It is not so hardy, or long-lived, on the hook, as the chub or steel back; but on account of its white and silvery ap- pearance it is especially desirable for turbid or rough water, and on cloudy or dark days, though it is, for that matter, a good bait at all times. The chubs «re good bait on bright days with clear and still water; they have rather tough mouths, endure the hook well, and are rather more lively than shiners, and on these accounts are preferred by many anglers. The young of some of the species of CATosTOMID@ (suckers), are also very good baits on sunny days, with clear and low water; their tough, leathery, and projecting ui 1 NATURAL Batts. - 269 lips are well adapted for the hook. They are quite hardy and lively. The young of Perca americana (yellow perch), are ex- cellent baits on ponds and lakes, early or late in the season, especially if the spinous dorsal fin be clipped off with a sharp knife, or a pair of scissors. They show well in the water, and often prove an attractive lure during the seasons mentioned. As a rule, good-sized minnows should be employed, say from three to four inches long. The large minnows are livelier, more hardy, and live much longer on the hook than the small ones. A half-pound bass will take the largest minnow as easily and as readily as the smallest one, so there is no fear of using minnows too large. It is true, that at times, the largest bass seem to take to the smallest minnows, but on these exceptional occasions they are off their feed, to a certain extent, for, usually, the largest bass takes the largest minnows. In baiting with the minnow, the hook should be entered through the lower lip and out through the nostril; if this is carefully done, the minnow will live a comparatively long time. Sometimes, with small minnows, the hook is passed out through the socket of the eye; but this should only be done with dead minnows. Another excellent way, especially with large minnows, is to pass the hook through both lips, the lower one first, and out through the upper one. When minnows are hooked in either of these ways, a dead one is often as good as a live one, for the moving of the line causes them to move in a natural manner. Where the water is without a current, as on ponds or lakes, and where the minnows are quite small, they may be, for still fishing, but under no other circumstances, hooked just 270 Book OF THE BLACK BAss. back of the dorsal fin, and just above the backbone. But in hooking a minnow in this way, the angler should bear in mind the injunction of Father Izaak, in reference to hooking the live frog: use him as though you loved him. Chubs and suckers should always be hooked through the lips, which are comparatively tough. The angler can not be too careful of his minnows. The water in the bucket should be frequently changed, without waiting for them to appear at the surface to breathe — the usually accepted indication to change the water — for their vitality and strength are already impaired when this takes place, and many of them can not be revived afterward. When available, especially in very hot weather, a piece of ice should be placed in, the minnow pail, and covered witha woolen cloth. A little salt, added to the water in the pail, is very beneficial and adds to the preservation of minnows. It is a good plan, when practicable, to use two minnow- buckets, one of which, containing most of the minnows as a reserve, should be sunk in the water, and a few minnows taken out,,as needed, for the bucket in use. In this way, the entire stock can be utilized in good condition. In carrying minnows to any distance, they should not be too much crowded in the pail; fifty minnows is enough for a five-gallon bucket. When more than this number is re- quired, additional pails should be provided. A handful of water-weeds in the pail will prevent the minnows from being so much injured, as they otherwise would be, when conveyed over rough roads. When it is not practicable to allow of a frequent chang- ing of the water, the latter may be oxygenized or aerated by inserting a rubber, or other tube, well toward the bot- tom of the pail, and pumping air through it by means of NATURAL BAITS. 271 a rubber bulb, such as is attached to a pump-syringe. It is worse than useless to blow through such a tube with the mouth, for the breath, being deprived of its oxygen in the lungs, carbonic acid gas takes its place, which is poi- sonous to the minnows; yet I have frequently seen this done by individuals, who erroneously supposed that they were freshening the water, because of the numerous bub- bles produced. A still better method of aerating the water is to dip it up with a cup, and pour back again from a height of one or two feet. Dead minnows are now preserved and put up in small bottles for the great convenience of the angler. ‘They answer every pur- pose, as a dead minnow ‘is just as good as a live one if kept in constant motion. I have seen the minnows thus prepared by The Curtis-King Company, Milwau- kee, Wis. They are mostly shiners about three inches long. As minnows are be- 4) ro ce ies coming scarce in some sections of the ge ae country, this enterprise is greatly to be ei commended, both as a boon to the angler. and in mercy to the minnow. King’s prepared shiner bait is now kept in stock by Abbey & Imbrie and other dealers. THE HELGRAMITE. The larva of the horned corydalis (Corydalis cornuta), an insect belonging to the order Neuroptera, is variously ealled “helgramite,” “ dobson,’ “grampus,” “ dobsell,” “helion,” “kill-devil,’ “crawler,” and other eupho- 212 Book OF THE BLACK BAss. nious names. The male of the perfect, winged-insect has long an- tenn, or horns, from which its specific and common names are derived. It exists for several years in the larval state, when it is generally known as the “ helgramite,” being a curious, flattened, and, to most persons, a repulsive-looking worm, growing to a length of two or three inches, and about a half inch in width. It has a head and pincers resembling, somewhat, those of a beetle; has six legs along the thorax; while the body is composed of a number of rings, to which are attached fringes bearing some likeness to small legs; the body ter- minates in two short appendages, or tails, on each of which are two smal! hooks. The color is a dark, dirty, brown. The helgramite, by means of its hooks and_ pincers, clings readily and tenaciously to different objects, and hides securely under rocks, boulders, drift- wood, logs, ete., even in swift-running streams. They may be found clinging to the decaying timbers of old dams and bridges, and in the crevices of submerged stone-work at these places. They are found on the “ riffles ” of streams, under the boulders and flat stones, and may be taken in these situations with the minnow-net, by stretching the latter across the foot of the riffle; when the stones above the net are turned over, the helgramite, being thus disturbed, curls himself into a ball drifts into the net. NATURAL BaIrTs. 273 They can be found, in fact, hiding under almost any submerged object in the shallow portions of streams. They feed upon decaying wood and vegetation, and other substances. They can be kept alive for almost any length of time, in a vessel half filled with wet pieces of rotten wood, and damp aquatic vegetation. In this way the angler can always have a ready supply of bait on hand. The helgramite is hooked by inserting the point of the hook under the cap or shell that covers the neck, from behind forward, and bringing it through next to the head. It is a capital bait for the black bass, especially when the bass are found on the riffles or rapids, and in shallow water. THE CRAWFISH. The crawfish (Cambarus), sometimes called crayfish and crab, is, in some localities, and at certain seasons, a good bait, especially when casting its shell, when it is called a “peeler” or a “shedder.” The crawfish exists wherever the black bass is found, in greater or less quantities.. In waters where it is very abundant it forms an excellent and killing bait. “ Distinct species live in the mountain streams and in the springs at their sources. Some frequent the marshes of the lowlands (both the fresh and salt marshes), either near the streams, or adjacent to the bays, sounds, or ocean. Some occur beneath stones in rivers, creeks, or branches; in the muddy basis; beneath stones in the rapids; among grass and weeds in more quiet places, and in coves; under shelving grassy banks; in holes at the bottom of ponds, lakes, dams, and mill-races. Others bore holes in the meadows, or even in the hill-tops near water; and in bringing up the mud and clay from their tube-like holes, pile it as a chimney at the entrance. These species at 18 274 Book OF THE BuAck Bass. particular times place a plug of clay in the orifice of the chimney and seal‘ themselves in for a certain length of time. Still others reside in the drains and mud of the rice-fields and plantations of the south, and sometimes burrow through the embankments, allowing the water to flood the region.” The crawfish is used as a bait for the black bass only in still-fishing, when it serves a good purpose. In its usual state it should be hooked through the tail, but “ soft- craws” or “ peelers*” may be hooked through the head or body. They may be kept alive a long time in damp aquatic grass, moss, or weeds. GRASSHOPPERS AND CRICKETS. Grasshoppers and crickets are at times very taking baits. They should be used as surface baits entirely, and should be employed only when a brisk breeze is blowing, and on the windward side of the water; for it is at such times that they are blown into the water, and the bass are then on the look out for them. The water, also, being broken into ripples by the breeze, enhances the angler’s chances of success. ‘These insects should be hooked through the upper part of the thorax or body, small hooks being used. Frogs. On marshy streams and ponds, young frogs are often used for baits, with good success, in still-fishing. They may be hooked through the lips, or through the skin of the back. They should be of small size, and kept in pretty constant motion, as they are inclined to bury themselves in the mud, or hide under stones, on the bottom, or crawl out upon objects on the surface, if left too long to their own devices. NATURAL Barts. 275 _Salt-water shrimps, when they can be procured, are good baits for black bass, alive or pickled, that is, pre- served in salt or strong brine. I have seen black bass caught with cut bait, and even the humble “wum;” but the angler who is reduced to such severe straits, is more to be pitied than envied. Frog-casting with a very short rod, five or six feet long, is now practiced by some anglers, casting overhead, as with the artificial fly. It is a method well adapted for very weedy waters. 276 Book OF THE BLAckK Bass. CHAPTER XVII. MISCELLANEOUS IMPLEMENTS. “My rod and my line, my float and my lead, My hook and my plummet, my whetstone and knife, My basket, my baits, both living and dead, My net and my meat, for that is the chief: Then I must have thread, and hairs green and small, With mine angling-purse, and so you have all.” — Izaak WALTON. THE list of miscellaneous implements is constantly being added to, to meet the wants or requirements of anglers. It is not only interesting, but surprising, upon looking over the catalogues of our large dealers, to observe the improve- ments and inventions that are being made, each season, in this department. Every thing that can be devised or thought of to increase the angler’s pleasure or comfort is put into practical shape. THeE Fuy-BooKk. Among the necessary adjuncts to the fly-fishers’s outfit is the fly-book, whose pages, well-filled, are more interest- ing to the angler than the best written pages of classic lore, poetry, or fiction. Fly-books are now made of many patterns and sizes, and of various grades of quality and material. They are constructed of calf-skin, pig-skin, morocco, or russia-leather, with parchment leaves for holding the flies. Those with metal-clip, for keeping the flies separate and at full length, are the best and most satisfactory, for obvious reasons. They are made in vari- MISCELLANEOUS IMPLEMENTS. PAA | ous lengths, from five to seven inches; and of a capacity for holding from three dozen to a gross of flies. very manufacturer has patented at least one fly-book, and some of them, two or three; and where there is so much competition there is sure to be production of good articles. It is really hard to choose between those now made, and the choice must be left entirely to the angler’s taste or fancy as to the different methods of securing the fies, and also as to details of construction and finish. One of the most recently improved fly-books is the “ Monarch,’ made by Wilham Mills & Son, New York. It is made in several styles of leather, and of varying capacity, holding from two to eight dozen flies, and is of several sizes. Quite a novel and useful feature is a transparent cel- luloid pocket to each leaf of the book, in which can be placed casts, leaders or eyed flies, and which are visible without removal from the pockets. It has the usual metal scalloped band at the top and bottom of each page for the hooks of snelled flies, and two rows of spiral springs for holding the snells secure and apart. Other good fly-books are made by The Thos. H. Chubb Rod Co., Abbey & Imbrie, Thomas J. Conroy, and Malcolm A. Shipley. I have used fly-books made by these parties, and all are to be commended, in the best grades, for work- manship, durability and convenience. 278 Book OF THE BLACK BAss. The fly-books of Charles F. Orvis have waterproof and mil- dewproof leaves. They are || made in several sizes and styles. They have improved metal clips f and a parchment band _ for = keeping the snells in position. g| Their capacity is from four a =| dozen to a gross of flies. . FLy AND LEADER BOXEs. A new article is a combined fly and leader box of alumi- num introduced by The 'T. H. Chubb Rod Co., which has an aluminum comb at each end for securing snelled flies. The snells, together with leaders, are covered by felt. leaves, which are kept soft and pliable by the moist felt. MISCELLANEOUS IMPLEMENTS. 279 Abbey & Imbrie furnish the “De Witt” fly and leader box similar to the above. It is made of aluminum with aluminum comb partitions, and has three pieces of thick felt. It is quite moderate in price. An excellent fly-case for eyed flies is made by Charles F. Orvis. It has... cork: strips. to which the flies are firmly affixed, and ‘which: are firmly held in position by metal on three sides. It is well made and sells for a moderate price. Abbey & Imbrie furnish a metal leader-box, the “ Hamii- ton,’ which is fitted UMMM MMMM) with felt leaves for eee keeping leaders moist. It is of a convenient size for the pocket, with round corners. = No fiy-fisher should be without a leader-box == of this kind. It saves = soaking leaders before j 7 beginning his fishing, A or the more tedious process of rubbing them with India rubber, thereby causing vexatious delay. There is nothing handier than a good tackle-book made of good leather, in the bellows or accordeon style, so that like an omnibus it is never full. It should have half a 280 Book oF THE BLACK Bass. dozen pockets for leaders and snelled hooks, with small, supplementary cor- ner pockets for loose hooks sinkers, swivels, spoons, ete. Where looped leaders, double-looped snells and short-looped flies, or eyed- hook flies are used, it is just the article for holding the surplus stock. It should be closed by a long and stout leather strap and flat loops. CREEL, orn FIsH-BASKET. For fly-fishing, or bait-fishing, when wading a stream or fishing from the bank, a creel is very useful and con- venient for holding the angler’s catch. Fish are preserved in much _ better shape, condition and appearance by its use, and it is altogether more satis- factory than the shiftless way of “stringing” the bass, and allowing them to become water-soaked and flabby, by immersing the “string” in the warm and shallow water near the shore, or even by “towing ” them after the angler, if wading. For black bass, the largest trout creels will answer every purpose; say Nos. 3 or 4, having a capacity of twenty or twenty-five pounds. ‘The shoulder-strap should be leather or webbing, with a shoulder-pad, to prevent cutting or bruising the shoulder. Fish-baskets or creels should always be well washed, and MISCELLANEOUS IMPLEMENTS. 281 carefully dried after use, to keep them clean and sweet. When washing them, a little carbonate of soda or carbolic acid should be added to the water to destroy the and fish-like smell.” The best and safest basket sling is like the one furnished by William Mills & Son, which consists of a broad webbing “ ancient band to go over the left shoulder, and a leather waist strap fastened with a snap-hook, by means of which it can be LL AIFF AF IG Aen \\\x = ATTEN instantly detached and the basket removed, shouid the angler fall into deep water. It is much handier than the old plan of slinging ‘the basket from the right shoulder, as the right arm is left entirely free for casting. LANDING-NETs. There is no reason why the angler can not now be suited in landing-nets, for they are made in every style, from the 282 Book oF THE BLACK BAss. simple wooden-bowed net to the more elaborate and port- able net-frames of whalebone, steel and brass. For boat fishing, the landing-net should have a long handle, which is best when made in two pieces, with a strong brass ferrule joint. It should be as light as possible, and on this account bamboo cane is the very best material for the handle. The rim or ring should be ten or twelve inches in diameter, of brass, solid or collapsing; the latter are the most portable and convenient, and are made with one or more hinge joints. The net should be deep, and of a tolerably coarse mesh; linen is the most durable material, though cotton will answer. For fishing from the bank, or for wading the stream, a short-handled trout net is to be preferred, as it is more easily carried and answers every purpose better than the long-handled net. Those with oval, wooden rims are the lightest, and are as good as any. The long-handled net will answer here by using but one joint of the handle. There should be a blunt hook, or ring, at the end of the handle for attaching to the creel-strap, so as to leave both hands free for casting, and playing the fish. The “ Harrimac” brass collapsing net ring made by A. F. Meisselbach & Brother is constructed on the same MISCELLANEOUS IMPLEMENTS. 283 plan, with lock joint, as the expensive English whalebone collapsing net-ring. An advantage of this ring is that the net can be left on when folded. The “ I-D-L” short-handled net ring is made on the same plan by the same firm. It is coated with rub- ber enamel, and has a rubber elastic cord by gqyg—-————__________L. which it is carried over the shoulder. It will be seen that it is not necessary to remove the cord from the shoulder when landing a fish, owing to its stretching enough to allow this to be done. The wooden frame short-handled net made by The T. H. Chubb Rod Co., though not col- lapsing, is a yery mane ¢ style of net for wading. It has a rubber cord to go over. the shoulder. When not in use the net can be carried ¢ on the back, entirely out of the way. A very useful article is a minia- ture dip-net for dipping minnows out of the bucket. It is furnished by Abbey & Imbrie, complete, at a very moderate price. MINNOwW-NETS AND TRAPS. For catching minnows for bait-fishing, the most expe- ditious way is to use a linen or cotton minnow-seine, from 284 Boox oF THE Buack Bass. three to five feet wide, and from five to fifteen feet long. These seines can be purchased mounted or unmounted. The mountings consist of cork and lead-lines, with their floats and sinkers, and two handles or brails. ‘The mesh should be quite fine. A very simple and effective portable net is described as follows : “Take a bung or round block of wood of two and one-half to three inches in diameter, and bore four holes opposite to each other in tne edge of it. Then insert a piece of umbrella-rib, about twelve to fourteen inches long, in each hole. The holes must be made deep and small enough for the wire to fit tight. The paragon wire is the best. Leave the end of the rib that has the little eye in it outside. Lay the bung and wires on a square piece of mosquito-netting, and stretch it and sew it firmly at the four corners to the eyes in the ribs. In the center of the bung put a screw-eye, and in the center of the mosquito- net sew a piece of string, leaving ends about eight inches long. Any straight, stiff stick picked up on the shore serves as a handle, being made fast to the net by a strong piece of twine through the screw-eye, and with a piece of bread tied in the net with the string, and perhaps a small, flat stone to make it sink, it is ready to catch minnows. They will come over the net for the bread, and when it is raised quickly the resistance of the water causes it to belly, and the minnows will not get out. When bait enough has been taken, pull the wires out of the holes, drop the bung into the net, and roll it up on the wires.” Another simple affair is thus described : “A globe of wire netting split in two, fastened at the bottom by hinges, and attached to a stick by strings from the top — this is the whole affair, save a small place in the center for bait. The two hemispheres are so arranged as to open partially from their own weight, if allowed to touch bottom; or they can be separated by pulling one of the strings above mentioned. As minnows are generally found in shallow, clear water, it is easy to se¢ when enough have entered the trap, to close and draw it out. This MISCELLANEOUS IMPLEMENTS. 285 invention does away entirely with seining, and the disagreeable necessity of wading in the water. The pole or stick upon which the trap is hung may be made of any desired length, and jointed, thus permitting the entire apparatus to be packed in a small space.” Malcolm A. Shipley, Philadelphia, furnishes a folding net, much like one I have frequently used. It is a very convenient article, occupying but [| , small space when folded. When ready for use it is about three feet square. The glass minnow trap patented and sold by Charles F. Orvis, has been on the market for many years, and has proved a great suecess. It is constructed of heavy flint glass, about twelve by twenty- four inches. It is lowered into the water, and some bread crumbs placed inside. The cord by which it is lowered should be buoyed, if the angler is to remain away very long. The galvanized wire trap furnished by Wm. Mills & Son, is another in- genious device. It is to be lowered into the water and baited, the minnows having access at either end. The two halves nest together, so that with a common water pail it can be utilized as a minnow-bucket. It is, when set up, about nine by twenty inches. 286 Book OF THE BLaAck Bass. MINNOW-BUCKETS. To the bait-fisher for black bass, the proper form of bait- can is quite an important item. ‘There are two general styles, one for boat-fishing, and one for stream-fishing. The best plan for a minnow-bucket for boat-fishing, and where a large pail can be utilized, is to have two pails, one fitting within the other. This form of pail is generally and conveniently made as follows: | The outer bucket is of heavy tin, and made round, with a capacity of from two to five gallons; a stout wire bail or handle is attached, with a wooden or tin hand-piece. The inner bucket is also made of tin, to fit somewhat loosely in the outer one; but the top of this bucket should be an inch below the top of the outer pail. It has an opening, fitted with a lid on top, through which the hand can be readily inserted ; and has a tin-hasp and loop for fastening securely. In addition, there is a flat tin-handle, in the form of an arch, on the top of the lid, by which the inner pail can be easily lifted out. The inner pail is freely perforated on the top, bottom and sides, so that, upon raising it, the water leaves it rapidly, and a minnow can thus be readily selected. When- ever necessary, the inner pail can be taken out, the top securely fastened by the hasp and loop, and the pail sunk in the water to revive the minnows, while the angler is taking his lunch or siesta. Both pails should be well painted, inside and out. A better plan is to have the inner pail formed of copper or galvanized iron wire-cloth. For fishing in a stream, where the angler is a-foot, a much’smaller and lighter bucket must be used, on the score of portability and general convenience. In this case, the bucket is made single, usually, and of an oblong or oval shape, to admit of its being more readily carried. It is fitted with a handle or bail, and the top is soldered in, an SPO eI + MISCELLANEOUS IMPLEMENTS. 287 » inch or two below the rim of the bucket; and this top only is perforated. There is also a lid in the top, which is usu- ally secured by a bolt of stout wire. A double pail, the inner one being made principally of copper or galvanized iron wire-cloth, would be vastly more convenient, without adding much to the weight. The most recent improvement in minnow-buckets that I have seen is the telescopic minnow and live bait bucket patented and made by the Hall Manufacturing Company, Cleve- land, Ohio. It is made round s and oval, and of several sizes. The No. 1 oval bucket has a mid- dle compartment for minnows, 3 and two end compartments for vo— eLESCOPIC MINNGW, frogs or other live baits, or ice. iE | aaMiewesieem The round and smaller sizes are “= _ es for minnows only. It is made Open. on a common-sense plan and is the best thing of its kind that I have seen. It is con- P structed in a substantial man- ner of oxydized copper on tin, , or japanned green and _lac- quered. “Closed. A very convenient receptacle for carrying live frogs, crawfish, crickets or helgramites is the lve-box sold by Wm. Mills & Son. It has two compartments and is strongly made of galvan-, ized wire cloth. The top} has a sliding cover. Its§ size is about six by twelveg inches, 288 Book OF THE Buack Bass. FLOATS, OR CORKS. The float should never be used when it can be dispensed with, as it is detrimental to good casting, and is always in the way. It becomes necessary, however, in shallow streams, where the bottom is covered with snags, roots, weeds and other obstacles, and may be used in still-fishing, where crawfish, frogs or helgramites are used as bait; but, when used, it should be as small as possible, consistent with the weight of the sinker required, and should be em- ployed for the sole purpose of keeping the hook away from the bottom, and not as an object of intense and constant observation to indicate a bite. An egg-shaped, oval, long or barrel-shaped cork-float may be used; or, still better, perhaps, a swan-quill or por- cupine-quill float may be employed with advantage, in situ- ations referred to above. There are several styles of adjustable floats that can be attached or detached without removing the hook. One of the best is one with wire spirals at each end. The Mascot float made by the Multi-Novelty Company, Burlington, Iowa, can be readily attached by doubling the line, inserting it through the hole in the float, and looping it over the end. The same company make the Pacetty float, which is designed to overcome the difficulty of using a float in casting the minnow. The line runs freely through a tube in the float, and in casting it rests against the sinker or swivel, but when the bait reaches the water the weight of the minnow and swivel carries the line slowly through the float until it meets a check fastened at the required distance. For weedy waters it answers a good purpose. The Bristol automatic float is made by the Horton MISCELLANEOUS IMPLEMENTS. 289 - % 2° h a 4 « m__@ tire Ma, oye 's PCW 2, 1877 FLOATS. 1. Mascot float. 2. Cork float. 3. Quill float. 4. Bristol float. 5. Pacetty float. 6. Adjustable. 19 290 Book OF THE BLACK Bass. Manufacturing Company, Bristol, Conn. It is intended also for use in casting the minnow. It is adjusted accord- ing to the depth of the water, and holds securely; but on reeling the line, and when the float reaches the tip of the rod, a cam is released allowing the rest of the line to be reeled up freely, and the fish landed the same as if no float were used. : THE SWIVEL. A brass or bronze box-swivel should always be employed in bait-fishing for black bass. It prevents, in a great meas- ure, the twisting, kinking and snarling of the line, so annoying to the angler. In rod-fishing, the smallest sizes — Nos. 5 or 6 —are large enough; and, usually, no addi- tional weight or sinker will be required. The line should be made fast to one ring, and the snell of the hook attached to the other. In trolling, two swivels can be used with advantage — one attached to the snell of the hook or spinner, and the other attached to the line some two or three feet above. In trolling with the hand-line, larger swivels may be used —as Nos. 2 or 3. Brass or bronze swivels should always be used, as they do not rust, a strong objection to steel. swivels. When sinkers are used in addi- tion, they should be attached about a foot above the swivel. There are various other kinds of swivels of more or less utility, one of which has a swivel at one end and a spring catch at the other. Another is a swivel with spring catches at both ends. Then there is the triple swivel, and the spreader swivel, though the latter are used more for salt- water fishing. MISCELLANEOUS -IMPLEMENTS. 291 Om neg (OW 4 In@ CQmaik sO) Cx 9 8 SINKERS AND SWIVELS. r 1. Adjustable. 2. Ringed. 3. Swivel. — 4. Rangeley. 5. Lead coil. _ 6. Split shot, 7. Mackinac. 8. Bronze box-swivel. 9. Brass box-swivel. 292 Book OF THE BLAck Bass. SINKERS. Generally, in black bass angling, no sinker, in addition to the swivel, is necessary, the latter being heavy enough to keep the live bait beneath the surface. But there are cases and times when the sinker is brought anto requisition ; for example, where the minnows used for bait are large and strong and keep on the surface, or when the stream. is quite rapid or current swift. When the ordinary ringed-sinker is used without a swivel, the line should be tied in one ring, and the snell of the hook looped in the other. The smallest-sized sinker is usually heavy enough, though sometimes a larger size is necessary. Buckshot or small bullets should not be used when the oval sinker can be had, as they offer too much resistance to the water, and often cause the line to twist or kink. The adjustable sinkers are the best sinkers to use, and should take the place of the old-fashioned ringed leads. The simplicity and effectiveness of the various devices by which they can be put on and taken off the line, without disturbing hook or bait, should receive the approval of all anglers, and render their adoption universal. They insure neatness and dispatch, qualities not to be despised in angling. Most of the sinkers produced in this country are made by Edward Pitcher, Brooklyn, N. Y. They are ringed, the rings fast at each end, or with swivels, which turn freely. Then there is the adjustable sinker with spiral wire at each end. The Rangeley sinker is also adjustable. It is grooved through the middle, and has an ear at each end, which is to be bent over on the line, forming an oblong sinker. ARO at ce MISCELLANEOUS IMPLEMENTS. 293 The lead-coil sinker can be cut to suitable length, ad- justed to the line and fastened by squeezing it tight. The Mackinac sinker is a round sinker, divided into two halves, in one of which is a screw and in the other a corre- sponding hole, by means of which it is adjusted and made fast to the line. The split-shot sinker is useful where a light one is re- quired, and is easily adjusted. LINE RELEASER. A useful implement that will be ap- preciated by the fly-fisher on brushy streams is furnished by William Mills & Son. Should the angler get “hung up” on the branch of a tree out of his reach, its release is an easy matter should he have this article in his pocket. He inserts the tip of his rod under the rubber band and raises the rod, with the “releaser,” straddles the twig or branch with it, and withdraws the rod. A slight pull on the string attached to the instrument cuts the twig, and the angler is again ready for the fray. It is furnished with a leather case for con- venience of carrying. 294. Book OF THE BLACK Bass. CLEARING-RING. The hook, in angling, often becomes fast or foul in snags, roots, rocks, or grass, and frequently is thereby . lost or broken, to the disgust of the angler. By the employment of a clear- ing-ring the hook can almost invariably - be easily detached from these obstruc- tions without damage. These are rings made expressly for the purpose, com- vosed of brass or iron, with a hinge to admit of their being readily adjusted to the line. The method of using them is as follows: The ring is opened at the hinge and the line encircled, when the ring is again closed and allowed to run down the line to the point of obstruction; the weight of the ring detaches the hook, when it is drawn up, a hand-line being attached to the ring for this purpose. If the hook is very firmly fastened to the root or snag, the ring is raised a few feet by its cord and allowed to drop suddenly, when its weight will usually clear the hook. A very good substitute for the clearing-ring, and one easily ob- tained, is the ordinary bar of lead, used for making bulléts. A hole is bored in the flat bar, through which the hand- cord is fastened. When used, the bar is bent around the fishing-line, forming a ring, and is very easily attached or detached. MISCELLANEOUS IMPLEMENTS. 299 DISGORGERS AND EXTRACTORS. Very often a bass is hooked in the gullet, and some- times in the stomach, though the angler should never allow him to gorge the bait to this extent. It is best to strike quickly, so as to hook him in the mouth. In the event of the bass swallowing the hook, it is necessary to cut out or tear out the hook, and often at the cost of scratching or lacerating the angler’s fingers; and especially is this apt to be the case when a pickerel or pike-perch is thus hooked, their long and conical teeth being as sharp as needles. To avoid this unpleasant feature, a disgorger is very handy and efficacious. It consists of a stout piece of wire, six or eight inches in length, with one end flattened; in this flat end a notch is filed, with cutting or sharp edges, when, by pushing this sharp notch along the hook, the lat- ter is easily detached or cut out. There are a number of ingeniously devised imple- ments for the purpose. One of the best is Foard’s patent fish-hook extractor or disgorger. The direc- | tions for its employment are to use the end of the | instrument corresponding to the size of the hook, draw the line taut, and run the instrument down into the bend of the hook; then clasp the line against the side of the shaft, and push the whole down till the barb is disengaged, and the hook will come out with the instrument. Another tool for this purpose has a V-shaped knife at one extremity for dislodging the hook, the other being a screw-driver, while the shank of the instrument is a file. It is a very useful, convenient, and portable combination. The file is useful for touching up the point of the hook, while the screw-driver may be re- quired for taking apart a refractory reel. 296 Book oF THE BuLAack BAss. ANGLER’S PLIERS. A very useful little implement is shown here, combin- ing six different tools in one, namely: 1, strong round-nosed pliers; 2, knife for splitting shot; 3, fine wire cutter; 4, strong wire cutter; 5, screw-driver; 6, reamer. It weighs only four ounces, and is made of the best steel and in the best manner, and will be found thoroughly reliable. The cutis one half the size of the pliers. With this tool, a bit of string and a piece of wire, a broken rod or a disabled reel may be quickly remedied or repaired. It should be carried in every angler’s pocket. Hoox Lock. Anglers are sometimes annoyed by a dangling hook and line catching in brush or other obstructions when wading or -fishing from the bank. The simplest plan to avoid this trouble is to place a rubber band around the rod above the reel, in which the hook or fly can be securely held, when moving about bushes looking for the next\ likely place to cast. A little implement has been devised by A. W. Bishop & Son, Racine, Wis., MISCELLANEOUS IMPLEMENTS. 297 to overcome this difficulty. It can be instantly attached to the rod and covers the hook or fly, and locks it to the rod, when the latter is not in use. It is nicely finished and can be carried in the vest pocket. LINE DRYER. One of the most desira- ble articles for the angler’s outfit is the Nichols’ line dryer. It can be folded into quite a small space when not in use. ‘To dry the line clamp the dryer to the rod, about eighteen inches above the reel, after haying extended the arms, and fastened them by the thumb nuts to right angles. Attach the line, throw off the click or drag, and wind on to the frame quite loose- ly. The frame with the line ean then be removed to a suitable place until dry. It is furnished by Abbey & Imbrie at a small cost. Closed. Open. COMBINATION KNIFE AND ScrREWw-DRIVER. Two pocket tools that I would not be without are the combination screw-driver and knife, and the pocket caliper gauge, made by the Billings & Spencer Coompany, Hart- ford, Conn. The former has three sizes of screw-drivers, Bgl igo 298 Book OF THE BLACK Bass. of just the sizes for reel screws, and in addition a good strong knife blade, all fitted into a nickel-plated handle. By raising the locking bolt and pressing forward the slide to end of slot the blades swing out; select the one required and draw the slide back into the handle and the tool is. ready for use. PocKET CALIPER GAUGE. This is a light and convenient tool, graduated on one side to 64ths and on the other to 100ths of an inch, just the instrument for taking the calibers of rods, hooks, lines, ete. The thumb-screw is counter-bored to receive a spiral spring which bears on the nut and washer, thus creating a moder- ate friction, which, when the nut is loosened, facilitates the setting of the gauge to the desired measurement. It is finished in the best manner, and opens two inches. MISCELLANEOUS IMPLEMENTS. 29% WADING PANTS AND Boors. _ Cervantes has said that one can not catch trout and yet keep one’s breeches dry, which remark will apply as well to the black bass fisher. In warm weather, and where the water is not too cold, I prefer to put on a pair of brogans and a suit of old clothes when wading a stream. But often the water is too cold, or the angler is afraid of rheumatism, when rub- ber hip boots or wading pants are required. Hither becomes quite damp from _ perspiration, and should be thoroughly dried imme- diately after use, otherwise they soon become useless. Wading pants especially require much care. They should not be exposed dur- ing winter to extreme cold, nor placed near a stove or radiator when not in use. Unless the angler procures the very best wading pants, I would advise him to stick to hip boots, for cheap wading pants are a fraud. The best are imported, as more attention is given to the manufacture of them in England than in this country. Abbey & Imbrie furnish a high quality of mackintosh pants with rubber feet that are as good as can be bought anywhere. But for that matter any of the tackle dealers of known reliability will furnish them. WADING SHOES. The best wading shoes have rubber soles and canvas uppers. They dry quickly and do not harden with drying. 300 Book oF THE BuLAck Bass. Next best are leather brogans. They are very comfortable and answer the purpose admirably, though it is necessary to take the best care of them in order that they may be 4 Pa 7 ; in os) kept soft and pliable; a hberal application of castor oil, ; while wet, is the best plan for accomplishing this result. £ Very few anglers, however, attend to this matter as they 4 should, and are very loth to give the needed attention to 4 leather wading-shoes when through fishing; consequently, e | when next needed they are as hard and stiff as a board. q Wading-shoes of any kind should have soft iron hob-nails q in the heels and soles to prevent slipping on rocks. q Rop AND Reet Cass. ] Leather cases for the rod and reel are very convenient | and desirable articles, especially for the angling tourist. - AMUGFORO MFO CT A good and highly-prized rod or reel should have the best care; and a rod, especially, is liable to serious injury when protected only by a common canvas cover. The Thos. H. Chubb Rod Co., of Post Mills, Vt., the well-known manufacturers of anglers’ goods, make a specialty of leather rod and reel cases. They are made of heavy bridle leather, with handle, and if re- quired, a padlock. The rod cases are made to hold one or more rods. ‘To the angler who delights in completeness of outfit, I can cheer- fully recommend these useful articles. They will be duly appreciated by any angler who has ever made an extended trip to the woods, lakes, or streams by the usual modes of conveyance. MISCELLANEOUS IMPLEMENTS. 301 CAMPING Baas. I have had more solid comfort, when camping, from the use of one of Kinstler’s “ war bags” than from any other device of the kind. It is a non-rigid grip packing - bag, —_con- vertible and adjust- able, and always of the right size. It is made of heavy tan- colored waterproof canvas, height 16 inches, length 23 inches, width 10 inches. It has plenty of straps for handles or for carrying as a knapsack. It is a very com- pact article, either full or half full. It is made by Mr. J. KKinstler, Chicago, Ll. FISHING-BOATS. In black bass fishing on lakes, ponds, and broad deep rivers, a boat is a sine qua non, and a part of the angler’s outfit that should receive that attention which its impor- tance demands. A good boat in every particular is a blessing and-a comfort that can hardly be overestimated. As a rule, anglers, while employing none but the best tools and tackle, do not give the same thought and care to the boats they use. They are inclined to accept any thing in the shape of a boat that will float, and seem to have an idea that all boats are cranky and leaky, from the calm indifference with which they will sit for a day with wet feet, or the philosophic unconcern with which they will spend half their time in bailing out the water. In the first place, a boat for fishing should be safe and 302 Book OF THE BuLack Bass. light, dry, and capable of being easily rowed or paddled; and, in order to meet these requirements, considerable at- tention should be given to its model and construction. It should not be too long, and should have beam enough to give stability, but not so much as to render it logy. A well for minnows may he constructed under one of the thwarts, with a two-inch hole in the bottom covered with brass wire. screen cloth, through which the water may have free access. With such a contrivance minnows will live for weeks. Of late years great attention has been given by builders to the construction of suitable small boats, for the angler | and sportsman, at a moderate price, so that there is now no excuse for the employment of such death-traps as leaky scows and cranky, unsafe skiffs. I am aware that most anglers, who use boats, depend on hiring them at the usual fishing resorts; but that is no excuse, for the amount usually paid for boat hire during a fishing vacation would be more than ample for the pur- chase and freight charges of a good, safe, dry, and comfort- able boat. 4 PART III. ANGLING AND FLY-FISHING. Vij llitir js Uf i, WAN WW Y/ WY i iy Me iy 't ( I) wa oon 2 PLZ Yy | eu hai’ a Ue a \ y\y NAY NY, "4 \. ee Ze = Z _——_S EA ZZ YY YWMBELTE, SS, ee LET a yf * ~ =H 77 ee! uA ) Ck | a 2B Ey yy ie 5 =3 Sa r< U(j oa ee , = EP az “™ a 27 a2 Pa Y) \ Sts ay Za Der. Bic rae No ee ss 4 ——— f-- —., 4b ance —a ths : -~ Br eam > — = S _— eo Pei. Gas KENTUCKY BASS FISHER OF YE OLDEN TIME. \\ \\ ih ee THE PHILOSOPHY OF ANGLING. 307 CHAPTER XVIII. THE PHILOSOPHY OF ANGLING. “You are assured, though there be ignorant men of another belief, that angling is an art, and you know that art better than others; and that this truth is demonstrated by the fruits of that pleasant labor which you enjoy,— when you purpose to give rest to your mind, and divest yourself of your more serious business, and (which is often) dedicate a day or two to this recreation.”— IZAAK WALTON. In the days of good old Father Izaak Walton angling was, as stated by him in the title of his famous book, the “contemplative man’s recreation.” While this is no less true in our own day, the art of angling has extended its sphere of usefulness by becoming not only the recreation of the contemplative man, but of the active, stirring, over- worked business and professional man, as well. While in _the comparatively slow-coach days of the quaint Walton it was rather a recreation of choice, it has in this age of steam become, in a measure, one of necessity. The American idea of rest and recreation seems to have been based upon the Mosaic law of resting on the seventh, or last, day of the week. A man must first gain a com- petency and rest afterward, even if it took seven times seven years to gain the first condition, wealth, for then: only would he be entitled, or in a proper condition to enjoy, his otium cum dignitate. In the rapid race for wealth and distinction men labor night and day, with mind and muscle, especially during the seasons of business activity. But too often, alas, they labor in vain and find that the “bubble veputation,” or 308 Book oF THE Buack Bass. the “wealth that sinews bought,” has in a moment been swept away after years of toil and anxiety. Or, if they make their footing sure, they find, too often, that the re- sult has only been attained at the expense of a permanent impairment of health, for which the dearly bought treasure is but a sorry recompense ; and the oft-imagined and fondly looked for goal of a life of peace and quiet and the enjoy- ment of the hard-earned competency, has been realized to be one of short continuance or of long bodily suffering. To keep pace with the rapid strides of trade and traffic, as much labor is now performed in one day as was formerly done in a week. Consequently, between the busy seasons, or “ heats,” in this race for wealth and place, men find it absolutely necessary, not so much from choice as necessity, to rest and recuperate and build up the exhausted energies, the tired brain and relaxed muscles, and to gird up the loins for renewed efforts. The necessity being acknowledged, the question then arises: in what way can this rest and recreation of the muscular and nervous tissues of the body be best attained ? When men think of rest and relaxation their thoughts turn naturally to the woods, to the fields, to running streams and quiet lakes, or the sea-shore. If it is simply a Sunday stroll, their steps naturally and irresistibly lead them to green fields, or the river side; or a drive along the country ~ road with its hedges, and birds, and crossing brooks. If . it is a day’s holiday, it must be a picnic in the grand old woods, and near a lake, or stream, or at least a babbling rill. The very idea of perfect rest is associated with mossy banks and cool sparkling waters. It is doubtful if there is a sweeter line in human language, or one more expressive of perfect bliss, of lasting peace, of complete rest, of true happiness, of quiet contentment, than that of the Psalmist: THE PHILOSOPHY OF ANGLING. 309 “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.” But the question: where can rest be found? has already been answered in the crowds of tired pilgrims — they are ealled pleasure-seekers, but they are looking for rest — who are seen each summer-time wending their ways by rail and steamer to the mountains, to the sea-shore, to the Adiron- dacks, to the Great Lake region, to the wilds of Maine and Canada, to the charming streams and lakelets of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota, or simply to “the country ” — any place in fact is their Mecca where may be found rest and quiet, green fields, green hills, green trees, and clear, cool water. Then, the season for angling coming as it does during the midsummer vacation, in the pleasantest weather and during the lull in active business matters, presents at once the means and the opportunity for enjoyment and rest, for recreation and peace. Horace Greeley once said to the writer that he had been for years eagerly looking forward to the time when he could lay down his pen, for a few days, and “ go-a-fishing ;” but that time never came during his busy life. His dreams of a brief season of what he con- sidered the very essence of rest and contentment were never realized — he died a martyr to an overworked brain. Rest and recreation to the active mind does not mean mere idleness, or as it is more poetically expressed: dolce far niente; this, to many, would be more irksome than the hardest work. Many men have a horror of going into the woods, to the wilderness, to the lakes, or the sea-shore, because there is nothing to do, nothing to occupy their minds, nothing to save them from ennui after the novelty “wears off. The busy, active man can secure rest only by diverting the muscular and nervous energies in new and 310 Book OF THE BLAcK BAss. unaccustomed channels. ‘This may be accomplished, in a | measure, by cards, chess, music, reading, etc., as purely intellectual recreations; while riding, driving, boating, yachting, shooting, etc., furnish ample means for muscular skill and exercise; but angling brings into play both the mental and physical capacities. To be a good angler re- quires good judgment, much patience, rare skill, a full share of endurance, and a lively imagination; the latter quality is not absolutely essential, but it helps mightily when “luck” is bad, and on it depends the esthetic and poetic features of the art. But those who are disposed to “take time” to indulge in these or similar recreations, in our country, are com- paratively limited. In England it is considered part of a gentleman’s education to know how to ride, to row, to shoot, to sail, and to cast a fly, and he is the better for it, morally, physically, and intellectually: In our own country it is too often considered “a waste of time” to acquire or prac- tice these manly and healthful accomplishments. | Our girls may learn music, and dancing, and painting, as means and acquirements necessary to the securing of a husband, but any attempt on the part of our boys to learn any of the manly sports, in a regular and systematic way, must be frowned down as opposed to all our ideas of thrift and economy, and a gross misuse of “time.” What we need is more muscular Christianity ; we would then have sounder minds in sounder bodies. A few weeks taken from the fifty-two composing the year and devoted to angling, shooting, boating, or “ camp- ing out,’ would not be missed in the long run from the business man’s calendar, but, on the contrary, would return an interest, which, though it could not be computed by any rate of per centage, would be sensibly felt and realized in “tS Pe eos RD se eS: ke ee eae THE PHILOSOPHY OF ANGLING. ait _ a clearer brain, a stronger body, and a better aptitude for business. The clergyman would acquire broader views of humanity, and preach better sermons. The physician would better appreciate, and oftener prescribe, nature’s great remedies, air, sunshine, exercise, and temperance. The lawyer’s conscience would be enlarged, and his fees possibly contracted. The poet’s imagination would be more vivid; the artist’s skill more pronounced. Nerve would keep pace with muscle, and brawn with brain. I have purposely avoided any allusion to the Gipsy blood inherent in our’ veins, or the savage traits yet mani- fest in our flesh, and their lability to crop out, as evi- denced in our love for nature and nature’s arts. I do not look at it in that ght. I claim that the more enlight- ened and civilized a nation becomes, the more it is inter- ested in the works of nature and her laws; that the more progress we make in the arts and sciences, and all the achievements of a high state of civilization, and the more artificial and advanced we become in our ideas of living — the more readily we turn for rest and enjoyment, for recre- ation and real pleasure, to the simplicity of nature’s re- sources, “Knowing that Nature never did betray The heart that loved her.” Angling is an art, and it is not beneath the dignity of any one to engage in it, as a recreation. It is hallowed by “ meek Walton’s heavenly memory,” and has been prac- ticed and commended by some of the best and truest and wisest men that ever lived; for, as Father Izaak says: “ It is an art, and an art worthy the knowledge and practice of a wise man.” Did the art of angling require an apologist, I could here produce evidence, in precept and example, of 312 . BooK OF THE BLACK BASss. good and wise men of all ages, from the days of the Fishers of Galilee down to the present time, upholding and com- mending the moral tendencies and the healthful influences of the art of angling, and its virtue of making men better physically, intellectually, and spiritually. “QO, sir, doubt not but that angling is an art,” says Piscator to Venator; “is it not an art to deceive a trout with an artificial fly? A trout that is more sharp-sighted than any hawk you have named, and more watchful and timorous than your high-mettled merlin is bold? ” Is it not an art to glide stealthily and softly along the bank of a stream to just where the wary bass or timid trout is watching and waiting, ever on the alert for the slightest movement, and keenly alive to each passing shadow; to approach him unawares; to cast the feathery imitation of - an insect lightly and naturally upon the surface of the water, without a suspicious flash, and without disclosing to his observant eyes the shadow of the rod or line; to strike the hook into his jaws the instant he unsuspectingly takes the clever ruse into his mouth; to play him, and sub- due him, and land him successfully and artistically with a willowy rod and silken line that would not sustain half his weight out of the water? Is not this an art? Let the doubter try it. “ Doubt not, therefore, sir, but that angling is an art,” says Walton, “and an art worth your learning. The ques- tion is, rather, whether you be capable of learning it? ” Exactly so, Father Izaak; the question is, not merely “to be or not to be,’ but whether one is “capable” of learning it; for though any one may become a bait-fisher, it is not every one that can learn the fly-fisher’s art; for, continues Walton, “he that hopes to be a good angler, must not only bring an inquiring, searching, observing wit, but THE PHILOSOPHY OF ANGLING. Sin he must bring a large measure of hope and patience, and a love and propensity to the art itself; but having once got and practiced it, then doubt not but angling will prove to be so pleasant, that’ it will prove to be, like virtue, a reward to itself.” The art of angling, with the improvements and appli- ances thereunto pertaining, will not suffer by a comparison with the progress of any other out-door recreation. The love of angling increases with the lapse of years, for its love grows by what it feeds on. Wiser and more healthful and more humane sentiments now prevail among the guild than formerly, so that its practice more nearly approaches and deserves its appella- tion of the “ gentle art.” Fishing for count, and the slaughter of the innocents, and the torturing of the fish, when caught, by a lingering death, now meet with the opprobrium of all true disciples of the craft, and have become abhorrent and despicable practices. The genuine angler “loves” angling for its own sake; the pot-fisher “likes” fishing for the spoils it brings, whether captured with the hook, spear or seine. The angler wending his way by the silvery stream, or resting upon its grassy banks, has an innate love for all his surroundings — the trees, the birds, the flowers — which become part and parcel of his pursuit; become true and tried friends and allies without whom he could no more love his art, nor practice it, than the astronomer could view the heavens with pleasure on a cloudy, starless night. It is the love of the stream in its turnings and windings, its depths and its shallows, its overhanging branches and grassy slopes, that gives to the art of angling its chiefest charm, and presents the bass or the trout to the angler in 2 314 Book OF THE BLACK ‘BASS. its true and proper setting of leaves and flowers and spark- ling water. If it were otherwise he would find as much pleasure in fishing in the flume of the fish-culturist, or in viewing the fish in the fish-monger’s stall. Truly, the stream and its surroundings are all in all to the angler. Jam not much given to preaching, though I come of a race of preachers, but I can not refrain from presenting to the reader the following eloquent similitude and beautiful comparison between the angler’s stream and the stream of life, showing the easy and natural transition from the love of angling to the love of nature and nature’s God. I feel more like presenting it because it is an extract from a sermon of one (Rey. Dr. H.) who has both the love of God and the love of angling deeply engrafted in his heart : “ Act, therefore, while the day calls. Live its life as if life were complete in it. Not that it contains all varieties of experi- ence, but so joins the days before and after as to make them one stream, which your spirit should wade cheerily as the trout fisher wades his brook. “ His brook is wild, because the trout loves waters where boats can not follow them, nor even lumber logs roll free; waters that twist and plunge, and shoot and eddy, with many a snag in the midst and fallen tree across. “ And there the fisher seeks them by an instinct like their own —loving the bends that lock the pools, the shoals that embank the deep, the concealment of trackless woods, with their twilight noons and mystic noises, and every difficulty that teases him to more eager quest of his water-sprites. “When no upward flash meets his fly he reels his line in ex- pectation to give a merrier hum to the next throw, and again to the next, until all expectations are fulfilled at once when his ' wrist tingles to the trout’s jerk and swirl and jump. “ And still that wrist tingles through casts that take no prize, until another capture renews its thrill. Broken leaders, snarled lines, torn garments, bruised limbs, do not spoil his hilarity, THE PHILOSOPHY OF ANGLING. 315 which feels the whole day’s sport in every minute, the whole brook’s beauty at every step. “And so with life. It is to be lived as a whole. Happiness comes from an energetic sense of its entire significance in every passing phase of it — in mystery, as giving value to knowledge — in failure, as the gauge of success — in evil, as the condition of good, which indeed is but evil overcome, and without the evil could not be — and in all alike as strides and casts of the confident soul, whose trout-stream from end to end is God. * And if by these the soul gains nought else, it gains immortal health; fills its creel with secrets of infinite love and wisdom — wisdom too loving to wish less than man’s perfection — love too wise to spare any paim necessary to attain Godlike end. Luck enough for time or eternity. Nay, eternal sport in time.” 316 Book OF THE BuLack Bass. CHAPTER: AIX, CONDITIONS WHICH GOVERN THE BITING OF FISH. “So I have observed, that if it be a cloudy day, and not ex- treme cold, let the wind sit in what quarter it will, and do its worst, I heed it not.”— IzAAk WALTON. To seek to know all the conditions, positive and hypo- thetical, qualifying and exceptional, which govern the “)piting ” of fish, is about as vain and discouraging a pursuit as the search for the philosopher’s stone. To know, positively, before leaving one’s office, counting- house, or workshop for a day’s outing, that it is the day of all others of the season, and that the phase of the moon, the conditions of sky and atmosphere, the direction and force of the wind, and the temperature and condition of the water are just right to insure success, and to know just what bait or fly to use, and in what portion of the stream to fish, under these conditions, implies a state of knowl- edge that can never be attained by ordinary mortals; and though we are created, “ little lower than the angels,” it involves a pursuit of knowledge under such extreme diffi- culties that even prescience and omniscience are but ciphers in the total sum, for it leaves out the most important factor in the calculation — the fish itself. Yet, it is in just this hope of reducing the matter to the certainty of a mathematical proposition that some anglers are continually puzzling their own brains, and taxing the patience of their angling friends. They imagine that fish, somehow, form an exception to the rest of the animal creation, and are governed in their CONDITIONS WHICH GOVERN BITING oF FisH. 317 feeding, or “biting,” by certain laws, as unchanging as those of the Medes and Persians; and that these immutable laws have an outward expression in certain states and con- ditions of weather and water; and that it is only necessary to ascertain the peculhar combination of wind, weather and water, under which fish feed, nolens volens, to be able to effect their capture easily. The glorious uncertainty attending the “ biting ” of fish, even at apparently favorable times, has been observed for ages, and has invested the gentle art with a glamour, and an air of mystery, in which the element of chance, or luck, is a prominent feature. The angler wending his way homeward is accosted at every turn with the interrogatory of, “ What luck?” while “ fisherman’s luck” has become an universal synonym of failure. Many anglers, in lieu of more cogent reasons, have con- veniently relegated this whole question to “luck,” and have ceased to trouble themselves much about it, taking. the good with the bad, in a spirit of calm philosophy or in meek submission to the inevitable. Even while engaged in solitary angling, so conducive to quiet meditation, the habits and idiosyncrasies of fish do not often occupy our thoughts, but other and wholly irrele- vant themes. And even with all the information that can be obtained, by close and careful observation of the habits of fishes, and the nature of their surroundings, there is still left much to be explained, and some things that seem to be beyond our comprehension, which we might safely leave to chance or luck, until we understand them better. And perhaps it is best so, for there has ever been a de- lightful uncertainty attending the angler’s art, and therein lies one of its chiefest charms; for while it stimulates the angler to renewed effort, it consoles him in defeat. The 318 Book OF THE BuLAck Bass. pleasures of anticipation have ever exceeded those of frui- tion, and ever will while “ hope springs eternal in the hu- man breast.” The angler spends the evening before his “ day’s fishing ” in overhauling his tackle; polishing the ferrules of his trusty rod; oiling his reel; looking for weak places in his line; arranging, lovingly, his leader, hooks and flies; and finds enthusiastic enjoyment in the examination of his treasures, and in pleasant retrospective and prospective reveries in connection therewith. ; He retires with contented mind, and an innate conscious- ness of unbounded success on the morrow, and dreams of arching rod and leaping fish, of mossy banks and murmur- ing streams, of cool shadows and spicy breezes; and when morn hath “with rosy hand unbarr’d the gates of ght,” he sallies forth with buoyant footsteps, his breast swelling with fond anticipation, and in that happy and expectant state of mind known only to lovers of the angle. OS tI a FE z = . a Spo pey Perhaps he returns at close of day, weary and footsore, and with an almost empty creel; what matter? All through the lovely day his spirits have never flagged; his last cast was made with even more hope and confidence than the first. And though his creel be empty, his heart is filled with the music of the birds, the purling of the , stream, the fragrance of the flowers, and, above all, with love for his Creator; and it has set him thinking of that eternal stream of time clothed with everlasting groves of never-changing green. And, then, the day has simply been an “unlucky ” one for fishing; yesterday was no doubt a “good day,” and to-morrow will be better. He finds consolation in ac: counting for his “ ill-luck,” and can easily see a reason for CONDITIONS WHICH GOVERN BITING oF FIsH. 319 it in some peculiar phase of the water, the wind, or the weather. Now, while it is not wholly a matter of luck, on one hand, and while, on the other, it is useless to expect to obtain an invariable law in respect to the “ biting” of fish, there are many things that we can learn by intelligent ob- servation. It involves no great comprehension of the sciences of ichthyology, meteorology, hydrography, entomology and botany, as professed by some, nor of the mysteries and hocus-pocus of the art as practiced by others; for there is often as little reason in the repeated change of a cast of flies by the scientific fly-fisher, as in spitting on the bait by his humbler brother; yet both have unbounded faith in their respective methods, and probably faith has as much to do with successful angling as any one attribute. But why do fish eagerly take the bait one day, and utterly refuse it the next, when, apparently, all other conditions are equal? This is a poser, and has baffled observant anglers for ages, and will, in all probability, never be - solved satisfactorily. As a short cut to its solution, it might be said that they were hungry one day, but not so the next. Certainly a very reasonable conclusion if it were sustained by fact, which it is not, if we judge hunger by its usual manifestations; for fish seem to bite best on a full stomach, and often refuse the proffered bait on an empty one; this fact is patent to all observant anglers, and I have proved it in many instances. But let us begin at the beginning. The great problem of life with fishes seems to be to eat and avoid being eaten. Very well. Now, which is the controlling influence in a fish’s mind — if he has any, per- haps, in deference to authority, we had better call it in- 320 Book OF THE BLACK Bass. stinct — his desire to eat, or his desire of self-preservation ? Now, right here, may be involved the fundamental prin- ciple governing this whole question of a fish’s “ biting.” Let us see. That fish can abstain from solid food for an indefinite period, procuring some nourishment from the small organisms in the water they breathe, as in confine- ment, during hibernation, and during the breeding season, is well known, and needs no corroborative evidence here. That, when they do feed, and the supply of food is abundant, they completely gorge themselves — some even ejecting the contents of their stomachs to enjoy the grati- fication of refilling them —is also an authenticated fact. When their stomachs are thus filled and gorged with food, it is reasonable to suppose that, like other predacious animals, they remain listlessly about their haunts, or retire to some secluded retreat, to digest it at their leisure; and, during the process of digestion, refuse to notice their usual food ; for I have frequently observed black bass remain mo- tionless for hours, except a slight movement ‘of the fins, utterly regardless of the schools of minnows that were swarming about them, and this at a season when they usu-- ally “bite” the best. Now, this alternate feasting and fasting may be a neces- sary habit, to enable fish to meet the exigencies of spawn- ing, hibernation (in some), and the vicissitudes of the ele- ment in which they live, and the abundance or lack of food at certain times. Streams are often rendered turbid by heavy rains, and lakes and ponds by what is termed “ working” or “ blos- soming.” At such times fish can not see well enough to find their food or discern their enemies, and consequently lie secure in their hiding-places. When the water becomes clear, they again venture forth -to eat and be eaten. a 7 Rai. Se Sha te nS oe ee Ay CONDITIONS WHICH GOVERN BITING oF FisH. 321 Then, heavy and continued rains, violent winds, and the change of season, affect the food-supply of fishes, and, con- sequently, the fishes themselves. These various causes make fish seem capricious in their time and manner of feeding. Then, again, while all the conditions may be favorable for their feeding, they may be deterred from seeking their food by a fear of enemies, and only venture forth when the cause of such fear has disappeared, or their qualms of stomach overcome their prudence. But little can be learned in this respect from fishes that are confined in aquaria, or from those that are artificially cultivated, for these unnatural conditions presuppose a change in their habits. We know that fish, in their native waters, are quite timid, and ever on the alert for danger —a footstep on the bank, or a shadow cast suddenly on the water, will cause them to hastily skurry away. No food, however tempting, can entice them so long as there is an appearance of danger, and their caution is then set down as eccentricity. Now, all this may, or may not, be; but it is as reasonable as any other theory; and this habit of alternate feasting and fasting, for a longer or a shorter time, will explain, in some measure, many of the features in regard to the un- certainty of “biting” in fishes of inland waters. We really know very little about it. We only know that when fishing a favorable locality where there are “ thou- sands ” of black bass, or even in small, circumscribed waters where there are certainly “ hundreds,” we do well, by the most careful fishing, to secure a half-dozen or a score of fish, as the case may be, on the most propitious occasions. Why is it then that so few, out of so many, respond to 21 322 Book OF THE BLACK BAss. the angler’s fly or bait? It is best that it is so; but why isitso? ‘This is a query that naturally rises to the angler’s -mind, especially after an unsuccessful day. IT might answer this question by asking another: Why is it that the sportsman in a day’s outing, with the best dogs, finds so few grouse or quail in comparison to the great numbers known to “use” in certain localities ? The inference is plain in either case, for self-preservation is the first law of nature; but while the sportsman is fully conscious of this, the angler is usually not so logical, be- cause he does not reflect upon the fact that the fish is as fully aware of his presence as the grouse or quail is of that of the sportsman and his dogs. Then again we should not expect to find all the fish on the feed at the same time; if we did so we would have no cause to complain of their not rising or biting. In the struggle for existence among animals, including fishes, it is the majority that obtains enough to satisfy its wants, and the minority only that does not. ‘Then it is from the mi- nority, in all probability, that we must look for the few that are likely to see and take our lure. Predacious fishes feed almost entirely at night, only the hungry ones, perhaps, that do so during the day; and though we often take fish with their stomachs full, they are evidently still on the feed, for such food is usually in a fresh or undigested condition, showing that it has been recently swallowed. Predacious fishes are more active during the night, and, I believe, rest or sleep during the day, while the smaller fishes, as minnows, ete., are more active during daylight; for it is not unlikely that they seclude themselves, or keep in very shallow water, during the night, to prevent their being swallowed by their larger and piscivorous congeners. CoNDITIONS WHICH GOVERN BITING oF FisH. 323 As predacious fishes then feed mostly by night, we would naturally expect to find them at that time where their food was most plentiful; and this is really the case, for I have observed that they were always near the shores or on the shallows at night, in water so shallow, in fact, that their dorsal fins were often out of the water. Any one who will take the trouble to proceed cautiously along the shores at night, with a lantern, can verify this statement. It is well known that the last few hours of daylight are the best for fly-fishing, which I account for by the fact that the fish are then approaching the shallows and shores in their nightly search for food; and as they only rise to the fly in comparatively shallow water, the conditions are thus more favorable for the fly-fisher. The hypothesis, then, that game-fishes feed mostly at night and rest or sleep by day, and that it is only the few that failed to fully satisfy their appetites the night before that are apt to respond to the wiles of the angler, is quite a reasonable one, and one that will account for much of the “ bad luck” of the angler. As before stated, there is much that can be learned by closely observing the habits of fish, the character of their haunts, and the nature and variety of their food; so as to enable the angler to know, so far as can be known, when and where to find the fish at certain seasons, or at different stages of the water; when they are most inclined to “‘ bite ;” and to know, approximately, what bait to use. This information can be acquired in no other way but by patient and continued observation; and, without it, all is guess-work. It is just as essential to the angler to know where to fish, as to know how. If he has a fair knowledge of the habits of game-fish, he can at once seek out the most likely places, on lake or stream, by seeming intuition. 324. Book OF THE BLACK Bass. Black bass are found at different localities in the same waters, at different seasons, and frequently shift their quar- ters many times during the same season, depending on the nature and locality of their food, the influences of wind and weather, condition of the water, ete. Thus, early in the season, they will be found on streams in shallow water, just below the rapids, or “ riffles,’” where the water is warmest, feeding on helgramites and other larvee, crustacea, minnows, ete. As the water gets warmer, they resort to stiller water, under overhanging trees, and feed upon the surface when the insects and flies appear. Still later, they seek greater depths, adjacent to shelving banks, gravelly shoals and rocky ledges, seeking minnows, | crustacea, ete. They may be found one day in water, say ten feet deep, and the very next day be seen in the shallowest water near shore. I will mention a striking instance of this kind: On one occasion, I went in company with a party of expert anglers to Upper Nemahbin Lake, near Delafield, Wisconsin. My companion was Captain B., who exhibited considerable impatience and concern because of the other boats starting ahead of us over the favorite fishing-ground ; but I saw that the three other boats were proceeding over this ground — where, on the preceding day, I had taken a fine lot of bass — without getting so much as “a bite.” We followed in their wake, casting right and left along the edge of the bulrushes, but in vain; until, finally, we reached the end of the line of rushes, at the inlet of the lake. Captain B. was discouraged, but I, on the contrary, was elated — for I had observed the dorsal fins of numer- ous bass in the shallow water between the rushes and the shore; and I had observed, further, that the bass were OIE RS eA IS. HE Ex CONDITIONS WHICH GOVERN BITING oF FIsH. 325 feeding on insects and flies which were being blown into the water by a brisk wind. I proposed fishing back over the same ground to the evi- dent disgust of the Captain. But I began casting between the bulrushes and the shore, in the shallow water under the lee of the bank, and fastened to a large bass at almost the first cast. The Captain followed my lead; and, on arriving at our original starting-point, a few hundred yards distant, we had taken fifteen fine bass. The three boats had made the entire circuit of the lake, and the six anglers in them, fishing on the usual grounds, had not, altogether, taken half as many fish, when they joined us for luncheon. In lacustrine waters, black bass first appear in the shal- lowest portions, where the water is warm, and feed upon crustacea, mollusks, etc., retiring to deeper water as the season advances. When the patches of rushes and other aquatic plants are well grown, they will be found near them, feeding on the minnows and small fry which con- eregate there. When the ephemeral flies of early summer appear, the bass will then be found where these are most numerous; and they, at this time, feed at the surface. I was once fly-fishing for bass in the Neenah Channel, at the outlet of Lake Winnebago, Wisconsin. The stream was quite swift, with a rocky bottom, and the surface was covered with May-flies, upon which the bass were feeding. I was enjoying royal sport, using a cast of two brown hackles, and frequently fastened a fish to each fly. A boat-load of rustic anglers, with tamarack poles and short lines, seeing my success, dropped down abreast of me, and anchored within fifty feet of my boat. They were using small minnows for bait, with heavy sinkers on their lines, which, of course, carried the bait to the bottom, where were feeding schools of white bass (Roccus chry- 326 Book oF THE BLACK Bass. sops). As I took only black bass from the surface, they caught nothing but white bass at the bottom. They could not understand it, and I did not enlighten them, for I had no desire to see my pet fish “yanked out” by tamarack poles and tow strings. I left them, shortly, in the glory of “snaking out” —as they called it—the unfortunate white bass, wondering, meanwhile, why they could not eatch black bass like “ that other fellow.” But do we really know any of the conditions favorable or unfavorable for angling? We are told that fish will not bite when the water is rendered high and turbid by freshets; during a thunder-storm, with heavy rain; on dark, cold days, with a blustering east wind; and on bright, still and hot days, when the water lies unruffled, — like a burnished mirror. If this be so, it is extremely fortunate, and we can apply the rule of exclusion here, and at once dismiss all such occasions from further con- sideration; for I take it for granted that the reader has no desire to “ go-a-fishing ” at such times. Fortunately, again, the season for angling is during pleasant weather, in spring, summer and autumn; and I have always observed that the pleasantest days for the an- ‘ gler’s comfort, were usually the most propitious and suc- cessful days for angling. It matters little, for bait-fishing, whether the day be bright or cloudy, or whether the wind is in the east, west, north, or south, so long as it is a pleasant wind, and is not too raw and chilly. I have had “ good luck” with the wind in either quarter, and from a gentle breeze to half a gale; on days that were hot, bright, and cloudless, as well as on those that were cloudy and rather cool. To be sure, it makes some difference as to the character of the waters; the pleasantest days are best for small kar yar ~~. ; “eas ie CONDITIONS WHICH GOVERN BITING oF FIsH. 32’ streams and shallow waters, while the more unlikely days would better suit lakes and deep waters; though in either case, the pleasantest. days, in all respects, are the best. The fish in deep waters are not so easily affected by the vicissitudes of weather, as those in waters of shallow depth. As exceptional cases I might add that I have had as good success with a reefing east wind, or a half-gale from the north-west, on lakes of good depth, as at, seemingly, the most favorable times. Once, on La Belle Lake, at Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, I went fishing when the wind was blowing quite fresh from the west. I proceeded to the lower end of the lake, some three miles, when the wind suddenly hauled around to the north-west, blowing great guns, and causing the “ white- caps” to roll furiously. It was impossible to make head- way against it, so I was compelled to anchor, which I did in a bight of bulrushes, in water from ten to twelve feet deep, but near a gravelly bar. Here I took, in a little more than two hours, twenty-five black bass, which after- ward turned the scales at seventy-five pounds. I have always considered this catch as being one of the best I ever made. On my return, owing to the high wind and heavy sea, it was all I could do to keep my boat from swamping. On another occasion, on Oconomowoc Lake, I.fished at a - rocky bar, which divided the lake into two portions. The wind was blowing a half-gale from the east, and quite cool ; the shallow water on the bar was churned and tossed into billows of seething foam by the high wind, enabling me to fish in water but a foot or two in depth; and in a short time I took nine bass, the smallest of which weighed four pounds. Again, on Genesee Lake, in the same locality, I once 328 Book OF THE BLACK Bass. made a good catch under peculiar circumstances. On this oceasion I was “ frogging,”’ as this lake at that time was famous for the quantity and quality of its bull-frogs. After spearing a “ good mess” of greenbacks, I was stand- ing on a sand-bar, which divides the lake into two parts during low water, and was idly watching the waves rolling up on the bar, which were being driven with great fury by a strong south-west wind. I chanced to see several black bass, evidently feeding in the surf; and I then be- gan devising ways and means for their capture. Near by, was a water-logged boat, in which I saw a tamarack pole, and, upon investigation, I found that there was a short line and hook .attached. My plans were soon formed. I went to a small hole of water, that I had pre- viously observed, which was left after the drying up of the outlet of a marsh at the lower end of the lake, and in which I had seen a great many small minnows, an inch or two long. Dipping up a lot in my handkerchief, I took it by the corners and proceeded along the shore, dipping up water occasionally to keep the bait alive. On the bar I scooped a hole in the sand for the bait, filled it with water and went to fishing. The novelty of the situation, and my curiosity as to the result of the experiment, quieted my conscience and justified the employment of such prim- itive measures. Baiting the hook, I waded into the surf as far as I could with ordinary boots — for, being early in the season, the water was quite cold —I was soon pulling out the bass, and took in this manner, with-a short pole and six feet of line, fifteen splendid bass. In angling, it may be safely accepted as a truism, that any wind is better than no wind; a gale being better than a perfectly still day, especially when the water is clear. The reason for this is, that the surface of the water being “pee + oe So