^'a HARVARD UNIVERSITY. l1 LIBRARY MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY Library of SAMUEL GARMAN ' 7ly "A (^^x(S^^M NOV 1 6 1928 BOOK BLACK BASS COMPRISING ITS COMrLETE SCIENTIFIC AND LIFE HISTORY TOGETHER WITH A PRACTICAL TREATISE ON ANGLING AND FLY FISHING lND a full IvDSCRIPTION OF TOOLS, TACKLE AND IMPLEMEl^TS JAIIES A. HEXSHALL, M.D ■ I am. Sir, a brother of the Angle." — Izaak Walton CINCINNATI EGBERT CLARKE & CO 1881 Copyright, 1881, J. A. HENSHALL. TO THE CUYIER CLUB OF CIXCIXNATI, OHIO, FOR ITS PRAISEWORTHY EFFORTS IN BEHALF OF THE PRESERVATION OB FISH AND game; AND FOR THE GREAT BENEFITS IT HAS BE- STOWED UPON THE ANGLER, THE SPORTSMAN, AND THE NATURALIST, THIS BOOK IS KESPECTFULLY DEDICATED BY THE AUTHOR. PEEFACE. This book owes its origin to a long-cherished desire on the part of the author, to give to the Bhvck Bass its proper place among game fishes, and to create among anglers, and the public generally, an interest in a fish that bus never been so fully ap- preciated as its merits deserve, because of the want Of suitable tackle for its capture, on the one hand, and a lack of information regarding its habits and economic value on the other. The Book of the Black Bass is of an entirely practical nature, both as regards its subject-matter and its illustrations. It has been written more with a view to instruct, than to amuse or entertain the reader; he will, therefore, look in vain, between its covers, for those rhetorical flights, poetic descriptions or en- tertaining accounts and pleasing illustrations of the pleasures and vicissitudes of angling, which are usually found in works of this character. Nor is it to be regarded, on the other hand, as a book of a purely scientific nature — far from it — for the author has Avritten as an angler rather than as a naturalist. With these apologies, I trust the reader will not be disappointed in its perusal. Some of its chapters are based on articles heretofore con- tributed by the author to Forest and Stream, the Chicago Field, and other journals, which have since been re-written, enlarged and elaborated. The full-page illustrations of the two species of Black Bass were drawn from life by Dr. E. R. Copeland, and are faith- ful representations in every particular. It was the original in- tention of the author to have had these illustrations lithographed (V) VI PREFACE. in colors; but tl)e fact that the species vary so greatly in color- ation in ditFereut sections, rendered this inexpedient, and the design was abandoned. In the technical ])ortion of the book the author has availed himself of all published information on the subject of the Micro- jderi, for which he has given due credit in the proper places. But I desire particularly to express my profound obligation to Prof. Theo. Gill, for permission to use his valuable writings, and like- wise to hiin. Profs. Spencer F. Baird and G. Brown Goode, for information freely given, and for excerpts from rare books in the library of the Smithsonian Institution. I also tender my sincere thanks and grateful acknowledgments to Prof. David S. Jordan, for his uniform kindness, encouragement and advice, for the loan of books, and for the cordial, kindly and courteous interest he has manifested in me and my book. I am aware that the change mnde in the scientific names of the Black Bass species, will be looked upon by many, at first, as unwise and injudicious; but, under the circumstances, I could not have done otherwise than to restore the names rightfully be- longing to them, inasmuch as by so doing it clears up the foimer confusion attending the nomenclature of the species, and rendeis plain the causes of the same. Moreover, as the names Micropterm for the genus, and dolomieu and salmoides for the species, are the first ever bestowed, in each instance, their adoption will be not only an act of justice, but of expediency, for as we can not go back of them, it sets the matter at rest, forever. JAMES A. HEXSHALL. Cincinnati, July, 1881. TABLE OF CO:^TEXTS. PART FIKST. TERMINOLOGY, MORPHOLOGY, AND PHYSIOLOGY. CHAPTER I. — Scientific History of the Black Bass— Views of La c^pede, Rafinesque, LeSueur, Cuvier, DeKay, Agassiz, Gill, Cope, Jordan, et al., ....... IL CHAPTER II.— Nomenclature and Morphology— Generic and specific descriptions of all authors, ..... 65. CHAPTER III.— General and Special Features of the Black Bass, 135. CHAPTER IV.— Coloration of the Black Bass, . . . 145. CHAPTER v.— Geographical Distribution, . . . 154. CHAPTER VI.— Habits of the Black Bass— Spawning and Hatching, Food and Growth, Hibernation, etc., .... 162. CHAPTER VII. — Intelligence and Special Senses. Seeing, Hear- ing, etc., ........ 175. CHAPTER VIII.— On Stocking Inland Waters with Black Bass, 185. PART SECOND. TOOLS, TACKLE AND IMPLEMENTS. CHAPTER IX.— Fishing Rods— Natural Rods— Wooden Rods— Origin of Split Bamboo Rod — Bait Rods — Minnow Rods — Henshall Rod — Cuvier Club Rod — Welles Rod — Horae-rnade Rods — How to make Split Bamboo Rods— Fly-Rods, etc., . . . . 195. CHAPTER X.— Fishing Reels— Click Reel-s- Multiplying Reels, 237. CHAPTER XL — Fishing Lines— How Lines are made — Reel Lines for Bait Fishing — Reel Lines for Fly-Fishing — Hand Lines, etc., 252. CHAPTER XII. — Silkworm Gut — How Silkworm Gut is made — Leaders or Casting Lines — Snells or Snoods — Knots, . . . 270. CHAPTER XIII.— Fish Hooks— How Hooks are made—Various kinds of Hooks— Barbless Hooks, . . . . . 283. CHAPTER XIV.— Artificial Flies —Various Kinds of Bass Flies— Hackles— Winged Flies, etc., ..... 294, (vii) Vlll TABLE OF CONTENTS. CHAPTER XV.— Artificial Baits— Trolling Baits— Spoon Baits— Arti- ficial Minnows — Artificial Insects — The Bob, etc., . . 307. CHAPTER XVI.— Natural Baits— ]\Iinno\vs — Craw-fish — Ilelgrani- initc — Grasshoppers — Crickets — Siirinii)s — Frogs, etc., . 318. CHAPTER XVII.— lyii.scELLANEOUS I.MPLEMENTS — Fly-Books — Creels- Landing Nets — Minnow Seines and Nets — Floats — Sinkers — Swiv- els—Clearing Rings — Disgorgers — Minnow Buckets— Wading Pants and Stockings — Rod and Reel Cases, etc., . . . 327. PART THIRD. ANGLING AND FLY-FISHING. CHAPTER XVIII.— The Philosophy of Angling— As an Art, .349. CHAPTER XIX. — Conditions Governing the Biting of Fish — Influ- ences of Wind, Weather and Water — Rain and Sunshine — Thunder and Lightning— Changes of the Moon — Signs of the Zodiac — Day and Season, etc., ....... 350. CHAPTER XX.— The Black Bass as a Game Fish— The Coming Game Fish of America— The Extinction of the Brook Trout, . 377. CHAPTER XXL— Fly Fishing — Tackle— Rigging the Cast— Casting- How to Strike — Playing — Landing — How, when and where to Fish with the Artificial Fly— General Instructions and Advice, . 387. CHAPTER XXIL— Bait Fishing- Casting the Minnow— Tackle— Rig- ging the Cast— How to Cast— Striking— Playing— Landing— Advi- sory Hints and Remarks, etc., ..... 409, CHAPTER XXIIL— Still Fishing— Tackle and Implements— Bait and Baiting— On Lake an