AlOR t/ ABC ^^>/J^I $&M *tu)}j& THE THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESENTED BY PROF. CHARLES A. KOFOID AND MRS. PRUDENCE W. KOFOID \ MORE ABOUT THE BLACK BASS BEING SUPPLEMENT TO THE BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS BY JAMES A. HENSHALL, M.D ROBERT CLARKE & CO CINCINNATI 1889 COPYRIGHT, 1889, BY JAMES A. HENSHALL. TO THE ANGLING GUILD OF AMERICA, FROM THE URCHIN WITH PIN-HOOK AND WILLOW WAND — THE BTILL- FISHER WITH " PEELED SAPLING" AND "CORK" — TO THE ARTISTIC FLY-FISHER WITH ROD AND CREEL. THIS BOOK IS FRATERNALLY INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR. PREFACE. THE very flattering reception accorded to the BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS, and the favorable notices and encomiums it has received from naturalists, and anglers, and the press, and its success as a literary enterprise (for all of which I am profoundly grateful), has induced and encouraged me to bring its subject-matter down to date. For obvious reasons, I have thought it best, beyond the correction of a few clerical and typographical errors, to let the original edition remain intact, and to issue the addi- tional matter in a separate volume in the form of a supple- ment or sequel — the supplemental chapters agreeing in number and caption with those in the original edition. The plan pursued in the original book, of illustrating the tools and tackle, by using cuts that have been especially pre- pared for manufacturers, to illustrate their specialities in that line, has been so much commended by anglers gener- ally, and has proved so desirable a feature, that it has been adhered to in the supplement. For the new portrait of myself, my publishers are alone responsible. It is an exact reproduction of an excellent photograph. JAMES A. HENSHALL. CINCINNATI, DECEMBER, 1888. (V) TABLE OF CONTENTS. PART FIRST. TERMINOLOGY, MORPHOLOGY, AND PHYSIOLOGY. CHAPTER I.— SCIENTIFIC HISTORY OF THE BLACK BASS — Nomen- clature settled — Linnsean specimens — Lacep4de's, and Cuvier and Valenciennes' specimens— Identification by the author of type specimens, . . . . . . . 11 CHAPTEE II.— NOMENCLATURE AND MORPHOLOGY — Generic char- acterizations and specific descriptions of additional authors, 15 CHAPTER III. — GENERAL AND SPECIAL FEATURES OF THE BLACK BASS — Black Bass of Texas and Arkansas — Comparative Game Qualities — Opinions of Anglers, .... 29 CHAPTER IV.— COLORATION OF BLACK BASS— Coloration of Young- Cause of Changes of Coloration, . . . . 39 CH APTER V. — GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION — Original Habitat — Pres- ent Range — Transplantation in New "Waters, . . 41 CHAPTER VI.— HABITS OF BLACK BASS— Spawning and Hatching- Experiences in Bass-culture — Nest Building — Food and Growth — Food of Young and Adult— Hibernation, ... 48 CHAPTER VII.— INTELLIGENCE AND SPECIAL SENSES— Smell— Sight — Optics of Angling — Hearing, .... 56 CHAPTER VIII.— ON STOCKING INLAND WATERS WITH BLACK BASS — Transportation of Black Bass — Black Bass in England — In Germany— In Scotland— In Holland, ... 62 PART SECOND. TOOLS, TACKLE, AND IMPLEMENTS. CHAPTER IX. — FISHING RODS — Improvements in Rods — Henshall Rod — Dowel-Mortise Joint — Non- Dowel Joint — Power of Standard Henshall Rod— Rods of Various Makers— Fly Rods— Henshall Fly Rod— Steel Rods, ..... 69 CHAPTER X.— FISHING REELS— Improvements in Reels— Click Reels —Multiplying Reels— New Reels of Various Makers, . 88 CHAPTER XI.— FISHING LINES— New Lines for Bait-Fishing—Hen, shall Line— Lines for Fly-Fishing—Metal Center Lines, . 101 (vii) Vlll TABLE OF CONTENTS. CHAPTER XII.— SILKWORM GUT— Experiments with American Silk- worm Gut — Native Silkworms — Leaders — Snells, or Snoods, 105 CHAPTEK XIII.— FISH HOOKS— Eyed Hooks— Numbering Hooks— Snelling and Tying Hooks, . . . . .114 CHAPTEE XIV.— ARTIFICIAL FLIES— Killing Flies— Table of Flies — Henshall's Flies— Fluttering Fly, .... 119 CHAPTEK XV.— ARTIFICIAL BAITS— Evolution of Trolling Spoons- Triple Hook — Hammered Spoons — Artificial Minnowa — Adjustable Fly Spoon — Artificial Mouse, . . . .125 CHAPTER XVI.— NATURAL BAITS— Nomenclature— Minnows, Chubs, and Shiners, ....... 129 CHAPTER XVII.— MISCELLANEOUS IMPLEMENTS— Fly Books- Leader Boxes — Landing Nets — Disgorgers and Extractors — Minnow Buckets — Anglers' Pliers— Rod Holder — Wading Shoes — Fishing Boats, 131 PART THIRD. ANGLING AND FLY-FISHING. CHAPTER XVIII.— THE PHILOSOPHY OF ANGLING— Angling as an Art — Beauties and Love of Angling, . . . 159 CHAPTER XIX. — CONDITIONS GOVERNING THE BITING OF FISH— When Fishes Feed— Best Time for Angling, . . 162 CHAPTER XX.— THE BLACK BASS AS A GAME FISH— Why the Brook Trout is Disappearing— The Survival of the Fittest — The Black Bass not Piscivorous— Comparison of Salmon, Trout, and Black Bass Fishing, . . . . . .165 CHAPTER XXL— FLY-FISHING— Fly-Fishing for Black Bass a Mod- ern Art— General Instructions — Advice— On Streams — On Lakes — A Reminiscence, . . . . . .171 CHAPTER XXIL— CASTING THE MINNOW— Capabilities of the Min- now-Casting Rod — Mascalonge — Red-Fish — Tarpon — Popularity of Henshall Rod — Extraordinary Minnow-Casting, . . 181 CHAPTER XXIII.— STILL-FISHING— Angling of our Boyhood— The Happy Still Fisher— A Retrospection, . . . 185 CHAPTER XXIV.— TROLLING— Trolling at Gogebic— Pot-Fishing— Fishing for Count — Murderous Sportsmen, . . . 190 CHAPTER XXV. — SKITTERING AND BOBBING — Bobbing in Florida — A Tropical Scene — Justification of Trolling, Bobbing and Skittering, ....... 193 CHAPTER XXVI.— CONCLUDING REMARKS— A Labor of Love—The Reward of Labor— The Last Cast, .... 196 PART I. TERMINOLOGY, MORPHOLOGY, AND PHYSIOLOGY. SUPPLEMENT TO THE BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. CHAPTER I. SCIENTIFIC HISTORY OF THE BLACK BASS. I MAY be pardoned for referring to the fact that the restoration of Lacepede's names for the Black Bass species, as proposed by me, viz.: Micropterus dolomieu for the small- mouthed Bass, and Micropterus salmoides for the large- mouthed Bass, has been fully concurred in and adopted by the ichthyologists connected with the Smithsonian Institu- tion at Washington, the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Cambridge, the Indiana University at Bloomington, and of other institutions. These names are, as Professor Goode says, " grounded upon a firm foundation of priority," and can not now be changed, unless older names should be discovered, which does not seem probable. In this connection, it is interesting to note that Linnaeus had two specimens of the large-mouthed Black Bass sent to him by Dr. Garden, of Charleston, S. C., some thirty years before Bosc sent his drawing and description of the (11) 12 SUPPLEMENT TO THE BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. same species to Lacepede ; but Linne failed to describe them. "Alexander Garden,* one of the earliest American natural- ists, was a physician, resident in Charleston, South Carolina, in the middle of the last century. He was an enthusiastic collector, and in constant correspondence with the great Swedish natural- ist, many of his letters, with the accompanying notes upon his collections, being preserved in the two volumes of Smith's ' Cor- respondence of Liunseus.' "He was more especially a botanist, and his contributions to science in that department are fitly commemorated by the name Gardenia, applied by Linnseus, in his honor, to the beauti- ful Cape Jessamine. He collected, also, reptiles and fishes, and was so careful and conscientious a preparator that almost all of the fishes sent by him to Sweden are still in existence, though the other fishes upon which Linne worked are in a much less sat- isfactory state of preservation, and most of them, indeed, have gone to destruction. " Garden's method was to skin half of the fish, leaving the vertical fins attached, to press it in a botanical press, varnish it, and glue it to a sheet of herbarium paper. " These specimens are preserved in the rooms of the Linnsean Society of London, in Burlington House, in connection with the Linnsean herbarium and library. "In the summer of 1883, by the courtesy of Dr. William Murie, librarian of the Linnsean Society, we were permitted to make a careful study of the Linnsean fishes, and especially of the American forms, which were, as has been remarked, almost all collected by Garden, and which were named and described by *On the American Fishes in the Linnsean Collection. By G. Brown Goode and Tarleton H. Bean. A. Ill, 11. Scales 8-68-16. L. 1 to 2J feet; weight 3 to 8 pounds." — (JORDAN, Manual Vertebrates, 120, 1888.) CHAPTER III. GENERAL AND SPECIAL FEATURES. As there is a geographical variation between the small- mouthed Bass of the extreme North and South, so also we occasionally find a similar variation in the large-mouthed Bass of the northern and southern portions of the Missis- sippi Valley. Prof. Edward D. Cope, when in Texas,* a few years ago, took several large-mouthed Bass, which, while agreeing in all other features with the same species of the North and of Florida, differed somewhat in the smaller size of the scales of the cheeks, and in the squamation 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-mouthed Bass taken in the St. Francis river, Arkansas, in the autumn of 1885. As to a comparison of game qualities, as between the small-mouthed Bass and the large-mouthed Bass, I still hold that, other things being equal, and where the two spe- cies inhabit the same waters, there is no difference in game qualities ; for, while the small-mouth is probably more active in its movements, the large-mouthed Bass is more power- *0n the Zoological Position of Texas. By E. B. Cope. it made the slightest difference to the Bass themselves. And if we will reflect a moment, and hark back to our youthful experience FISHING LINES. 103 in angling, when we fished for fingerling trout, shiners, gudgeons, or sunfish, with black sewing silk for lines, or in our adolescent days, when we made our own lines for Black Bass fishing, by twisting together two or three strands of sewing silk — we somehow always preferred black silk ; and we were just as successful in luring the wily Bass with those somber, home-made lines, as we were after the braided, light-tinted lines came into vogue. The Hall Company also makes a cable-laid line of boiled silk — No. 1, or about the same size as the " H " line — which is the best twisted line I ever saw for bait-fishing, on account of its non-liability to kink, as compared to other twisted lines ; indeed, for still fishing it will answer every purpose, and even where a moderate amount of casting is done. The one advantage of a twisted line is that it ab- sorbs but little water, for it twists all the harder for being wet, and thus causes kinking ; but when cable-laid this de- testable contingency is obviated to a considerable extent. REEL LINES FOR FLY-FISHING. There has been no improvement in the best enameled, waterproof line for fly-fishing, as it has been about perfect for a number of years. However, some manufacturers whose work in this class of lines was formerly not very satisfactory, have lately shown a commendable spirit by turning out much better lines. Recently, when in England, I examined the best English fly-lines, but there was nothing that could compare to those of American manufacture. London dealers • showed me, with much pride, the, metal-center line, which they claimed to be the best fly line in the world; but A. G. Spalding & Bros, sent me a metal-center, enameled silk line that is 104 SUPPLEMENT TO THE BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. far ahead of the best produced in England, and the equal of any enameled line made in the United States. The advantage of a metal-center line is that it can be used of a smaller caliber and still retain the same weight as a larger line ; and at the same time it is probably a little stronger, though for that matter any of the enameled lines are strong enough. The metal center consists of an extremely small copper wire, around which the line is braided. The wire is so fine that it does not stiffen the line to an appreciable degree, as might be imagined. As the line is so thoroughly water- proof, there is not much probability of the wire becoming oxidized or rusted. CHAPTER XII. SILK- WORM GUT. IT has long been known that from the larvae of several species of our native silk-worm moths, much longer strands of gut, for leaders, can be produced, than from the Chinese silk-worm ; but, while strands of satisfactory lengths have been frequently taken, there seems to be a want of some special knowledge, or a lack of some peculiar skill in the proper treatment or manipulation of the larvae, or the silk- glands, or in the drawing out of the fluid silk, in 'order to produqe the silken strands of the desired strength. Among those who have been interested in the matter is Mr. Chas. F. Orvis, of Manchester, Vermont, who, having procured a number of cocoons of the two species of native silk -worms, known as Platysamia cecropia and Telea poly- phemus, hatched and raised the larvae very successfully. In an article (Forest and Stream, 1886, December 16) giving a history of his experience, Mr. Orvis says : " We drew many strands from both varieties, each worm giv- ing two strands, i. e., one from each sac. Before drawing, we put the worms in a dilute solution of acetic acid, or of weak vinegar, which seems to render it more tenacious. After leaving them for a few hours, they were taken out and drawn to their greatest length, as related in regard to the Chinese worm. The length was all that could be desired, for we obtained from the cecropia strands ove* three yards (nine feet) long, and from the (105) 106 SUPPLEMENT TO THE BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. polyphemus strands nearly as long ; and the color was perfection, i. e., delicately tinted either green or pale brown, according to the variety. But alas, our hopes were vain ; for the next day, when they had dried, we found that they had but little strength com- pared with the product of the Chinese worm. It could hardly have been in the drawing, for we had previously drawn gut from the Chinese worm, proceeding in the same manner, and it was hard and strong. We drew many strands, but all with no better It will be observed that Mr. Orvis placed the larvae, be- fore drawing, a " few hours " in " weak vinegar," while Dr, Garlick (page 272, u Book of the Black Bass "), who claimed to have produced strands equal in strength to Spanish gut, drew the worm without any kind of preparation. The practice in China and Spain is to soak the worm in vinegar of full strength for from two to twelve (accounts vary) hours, according to temperature, the time required being less in hot weather than in cool ; and, as Mr. Orvis states that he had previously drawn gut from the Chinese worm, " hard and strong," by the same treatment that he applied to the American worm, it would seem that either the foreign method is not well understood, or that the American silk-worm requires a different mode of treatment in this respect, or, according to Dr. Garlick, no treatment • at all. It is hoped that experiments in this direction will con- tinue to be made, until the native gut can be produced fully us strong as the best Spanish gut. If it can be done there is a fortune in it for somebody, for a leader in a single piece of from six to nine feet in length, and as strong as the Spanish gut, will bring a good price. An easy way to experiment in the matter would be to SILK-WORM GUT. 107 collect the fully grown larvae just before they are ready to spin their cocoons, as they are quite plentiful in the central portions of the United States, especially in button bush or water-sycamore swamps. In order to enable any one to identify the moths and their larvae, the following good de- scriptions are abridged from C. H. Fernald (u Standard Natural History," S. E. Cassino & Co., Boston, 1884, vol. ii, pp. 456-457) : The Cecropia silk- worm, Platysamia cecropia, which has a wide distribution in the United States is one of our largest moths, expanding six inches or more. It has a most re- markable appetite, feeding on no less than fifty different species of plants, among which are the apple, plum, maple, elm, oak, beech, birch, willow, etc. The female lays from two to three hundred eggs, which are creamy- white and striped with reddish, and hatch in eight or ten days. The young caterpillars are black, and change in color and size at each moult until mature, when they are three or four inches long, and of a pale green, or bluish-green color. The tu- bercles on the third and fourth segments are coral red ; the others on the back are yellow, except those on the second and last segments, which, with those along the sides, are blue ; and all are more or less armed with black bristles. They construct elongated, coarse, dull brown cocoons. The wings of the moth are of a rich brown color, sprinkled with gray scales, with a large kidney- shaped spot, shaded more or less with red, and margined with black, near the middle of each wing. A red band, edged on the inside with white, crosses the wings near the middle. The outer edges of the wings are pale silky brown, through which runs an irregular black line on the fore wings, and a double broken band on the hind ones. The base of the fore wings is dull red, with 108 SUPPLEMENT TO THE BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. a curved white and black line, and near their apex is a black eye-spot with a bluish crescent in it, and a shade of lilac above. The American silk-worm, Telea polyphemus, is our best native silk-producing species. Each female lays from two to three hundred eggs, which are about one sixteenth of an inch in diameter, slightly convex* on the top and bottom, the convex portions whitish, and the nearly cylindrical sides brown. These hatch in from ten to twelve days. The caterpillar feeds on the leaves of oak, elm, etc., and when full-grown is over three inches long, of a light-green color, with seven oblique yellow lines on each side, and the tubercles on the segments orange with a silvery spot on the middle. The last segment is bordered by a purplish brown V-shaped mark. It spins a whitish oval cocoon, which often falls to the ground, where the insect remains during the winter in the pupa state. Those especially interested are referred to the articles of Mr. Trouvelot (American Naturalist, 1867), for his expe- rience and experiments in obtaining the silk, and in rear- ing the American silk-worms. LEADERS. Anglers, now as ever, are continually theorizing and speculating as to the most suitable colors for leaders, in order to render them as little discernible to the fish as pos- sible. Many experiments to this end have been made by using aquaria, or glass tanks especially constructed, or by the experimenter putting his head beneath the surface of the water, in order to view the leader through the same medium as the fish. But the praiseworthy experiments to determine the color SILK-WORM GUT. 109 of leaders least visible to the fish, however commendable, are sure to end in disappointment ; such, at least, has been my experience, Experiments to this end have been made by practical anglers for many years with no other result than to show that the finer the gut the better, without reference to color. My own experiments in this direction have not been few, and I have demonstrated, to my own satisfaction at least, that any color of leader or snell will answer equally well, from hyaline to black, though I confess that I was formerly partial to a slight bluish stain, or mist color, and perhaps without any well-defined reason, except that it ought to be least visible to the fish. But when we enter the province of speculation and con- jecture, and try to see for the fish, or, in other words, to measure their visual capacity by our own, we are doomed to disappointment, though we bring to our aid all the known resources of the science of optics. I lately read, some- where, that an English angler declared that the salmon took the fly under the delusion that it was a shrimp, because while said angler was beneath the surface of the water, the artificial flies on the surface appeared to him like shrimps. To have made some show of proving his statement he should have first demonstrated that salmon could be taken with shrimp bait as successfully, and in the same situations, as with the fly. The only way to experiment with profit, in this direction, is to experiment with the fish themselves, otherwise our ef-. forts will be like the play of Hamlet with the melancholy Dane left out. The sense of sight in fishes is but little un- derstood, as is, indeed, the anatomy of their visual organs, which fact precludes all analogous reasoning from our own standpoint, alone. I have satisfied myself, however, that 110 SUPPLEMENT TO THE BOOK OP THE BLACK BASS. they see as well in their own element, perhaps better, than we in ours. That the color of the leader is not important is very evi- dent when we reflect that the boy with line of wrapping cord, red, white, or blue, or the angler with line of twisted strands of black sewing-silk, to which the hook is affixed without leader or snell, is as successful in taking trout or Black Bass with bait, as others with lines of the most ap- proved colors. Sharks do not hesitate to take the bait even with the huge hook and chain and swivel accompaniment, nor do codfish, and other marine fishes, refuse the bait be- cause of the large hooks, wire snells, or coarse white lines ; yet it is to be presumed that their discernment is as acute as that of a brook-trout. As to leaders and snells in fly-fishing, I do not think it makes any difference, practically, as to their color. The greatest desideratum, it seems to me, is to have them as fine as possible, consistent with the strength required, and this is not much with a flexible rod, for the amount of strain exerted by a fish on the rod and tackle is very much less than is popularly supposed. Though any color may answer, I prefer lines and leaders of neutral tints as being more in accordance with the eternal fitness of things, than for any other good reason, provided the staining does not wreaken the gut; and as this may possibly be the case, and as the stain or dye certainly can not add to its strength, it is best, I think, to use leaders and snells of unstained gut. I have used, with success, snells and leaders of the finest silver suture wire, for trout and Black Bass, but, practically, they are not pliable enough, and are too heavy. On the whole, then, I think we shall have to be content with our leaders and snells as we find them to-day, simply SILK- WORM GUT. Ill selecting those that are the finest, roundest, and most per- fect, remembering, meanwhile, that a sight of the angler himself is more fatal to successful fishing than a display of the coarsest leader, or of the most outre in color. Leaders are now mostly made with loops for attaching the dropper flies, and is by far the most preferable way. An excellent mode of making the loop is as follows : — and if the reader will refer to Fig. 11, on page 278, and its ex- planation on page 281 ("The Book of the Black Bass"), the matter will be made much clearer — In forming the usual knot for tying the gut lengths together in making a leader, the two ends are lapped about two inches in forming that knot; but to make the loop, lap about four- inches, and double one strand back on itself, so that there will be then three strands (instead of two), presented for tying, each about two inches long — two of the strands forming the loop ; now tie the knot in the manner as shown in the illustration referred to, and draw tight. This will leave two short ends on one side of the knot, and a loop on the other ; the former are to be clipped oft0 short. This loop should point toward the reel end of the leader, or away from the stretcher fly, in order that the drop fly when attached may stand at a right angle to the leader, and thus prevent it becoming curled around it, when wet. A very good plan of making leaders is that used by some anglers, who tie the gut strands together in lengths of three feet, with loops at each end. Two of these lengths can be looped together for a six-foot leader, or three for one of nine feet. The flies can also be attached to these looped ends very easily. In this way a number of casts can be prepared, which may be used as found necessary. If the angler is using, say, a leader of six feet made in this way, 1 1 2 SUPPLEMENT TO THE BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. with the stretcher and dropper flies attached to the end loops of the lower three-feet length, it will readily be seen how easy it would be to change the cast by simply " unlooping " the leader in the middle, and looping on another three-feet length — with flies already attached — as before. It will also be seen how easily a leader can be repaired in the same manner, by discarding the broken or frayed portion and replacing it with another three-feet length. In testing the strength of leaders for Black Bass fishing, the angler should be very careful not to apply a force or weight of more than two or three pounds, which is really more than it will require in actual fishing, and is all the strain a leader can be put to without injury. Silk-worm gut is always weakened when tested to the breaking point, or one of six or more pounds ; thus, a leader that breaks at eight pounds at the first trial, will not be likely to sustain more than six pounds at the next, and still less at the third trial. But if a low test is applied, as suggested, a good leader will last until worn out, in actual fishing. There is really no necessity for testing a first-class leader, for Black Bass or trout fishing, when bought from a reputable maker. SNELLS, OR SNOODS. Most Black Bass flies are now made with a short loop, or eye, of double gut, instead of being tied on snells of several inches in length. This is much the best way. Thev can be as easily looped on for stretchers, and by using separate snells looped at each end, they can be as readily attached for droppers. These separate snells should not be more than three or four inches long ; and when the SILK-WORM GUT. 113 fly is tied directly to the snell, the latter should not exceed four 'inches in length — three inches is really long enough. Short snells or droppers will stand out better from the leader than longer ones, and they fit the modern fly-books much better. The " eye " or loop of the fly may be formed of the smallest sized wire gimp, instead of gut, as it is stronger, and can not become chafed or frayed. It will, however, increase the weight of the fly somewhat; but this will be no disad- vantage in fly-fishing for Black Bass. 10 CHAPTER XIII. HOOKS. RECENTLY the old " eyed " hook has been revived in Eng- land for artificial flies, but with this difference : the old- fashioned form had the eye either turned up, or vertical, that is, on the same plane with the shank, while the im- proved eye is turned down ; though some prefer it turned up, the turned down eye is deemed the best form. Through this eye the snell is passed and fastened by one of several knots or hitches, each of which has its advocates. But the Black Bass fisher need not worry his brain as to whether the eye should be turned up or down, nor fret his soul as to the particular knot or hitch by which to attach the snell ; for the plan of making the eye of gut or gimp in Bass flies is really to be preferred to any form of eyed hook, as the loop of the snell can be readily passed through the small gut loop at the head of the fly, and over the lat- ter, and then drawn tight, making a very neat and secure attachment — neater and more secure than by any form of eyed hook with knotted snell ; but the eye of the new hook is so small that, except in large sizes, a doubled gut can not be passed through it, consequently it must be fastened by a single gut with some sort of knot. It is best suited for the very small hooks, on which the trout flies of England are usually tied, and for the very finely drawn, or gossa- mer gut, of which the snells are made. What with eyed hooks, brazed or unbrazed, turned up or (114) HOOKS. 115 down ; May flies, dry flies and floating flies ; snaps, flights, gangs, traces and gags ; spinners, propellers, link-swivels, brake-winches and metal center gimp ; registered seat, lock- fast joints, beware of imitations, etc. ; it would seem that the boasted conservatism of the average Englishman weak- ens as soon as he talces to angling. I saw last year in Eng- land more " novelties," and revivals of old and obsolete ideas, in new dresses, for the angler and fly-fisher, than were ever dreamed of in my American angling philosophy. During my visit, the British angling mind was much ex- ercised in regard to the re-numbering of fish hooks, started by an interested angler who had " invented " and patented or " registered " a new form of hook (with the turned down eye), and who wanted the Redditch manufacturers to depart from a uniform system of numbering hooks that had been established for nearly a century, and adopt the Kendal system. On this subject Mr. S. Allcock, the famous hook manu- facturer, says : "In Redditch we .number from 1 to 20, the size becoming smaller the higher the number, in the same way that the wire is numbered. This is logical, for the finer the wire the more fre- quently must it be drawn through the plates to reduce it. The sizes larger than No. 1 we number 0, 00, 000, etc. This system has worked well for centuries. "Now, however, a manufacturer employing a- very few hands chooses to number his hooks backward, 20 being a large size and 1 a smaller size ; those smaller than No. 1 he calls 0, 00, 000, etc. ; and Mr. Pennell has written a book in which he adopts this numbering ; but the only reason given for this new system is that ' it is sufficiently elastic, allowing of extension either way/" 116 SUPPLEMENT TO THE BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. As the hooks that are most in vogue in the United States, as the Sproat, O'Shaughnessy, Carlisle, Aberdeen, Dublin- bend, and hollow-point Limerick, are all numbered accord- ing to the Red ditch system, and agree very closely in all the sizes, it would be in the nature of a calamity to change it for the Kendal or any other system. SNELLING HOOKS. It has been recommended, in tying gut snells to hooks, to heat the shank of the hook and coat it with rubber or other cement, or wax, and to soften the gut by soaking, or to crimp it by biting with the teeth or pinching it with pliers"; but let me caution the tyro, and advise him to do nothing of the kind. It destroys the temper of a hook to heat it, and burns off the protective coating ; it breaks the fiber of the gut to bite or crimp it; and when the gut is expanded by soaking and tied on, it shrinks upon drying, and leaves the wrapping loose. The best way to tie a gut snell to a hook is to use nothing but well-waxed silk thread, and to wrap evenly and tightly. If properly done it will never pull off. Rubber cement loses its life after a time, becoming brittle, and rots the silk wrapping ; and so will all cements, sooner or later, from constant wetting and drying. At the best, if they do no good they may do harm, and it is folly to use them when they can better be dispensed with. In tying a hook to gut, use the best sewing-silk — the finest for very small hooks and coarser for larger ones; use red shades as they seem to be stronger, and the color is suitable. The silk must be well-waxed, and there is nothing better for the purpose than the best light- colored shoemak- HOOKS. 117 er's wax, which can be folded in a piece of soft leather to prevent soiling one's fingers. Some writers advise laying the gut on the back of the shank, but it is much better and more proper to place it on the front or inside of the shank. When it is on the back the direction of the traction and the strain is away from the end of the shank, and has a tendency to stretch or loosen the wrapping at that point ; while with the gut in front of the shank this is obviated, as can be easily demonstrated, by placing the point of the hook against the ball of the thumb and making traction on the snell. Now, then, to tie a tapered hook to gut, proceed as fol- lows : First wax the silk well ; then take the hook between the thumb and forefinger of the left hand (if you are right- handed), with the end of the shank to the right, and the barb uppermost ; lay the gut along the inside of the shank for half its length, for small and medium-sized hooks, or one-third for large hooks ; and lay the silk alongside of the gut, their two ends together ; and begin wrapping the silk (around the gut, shank and itself) at the end of the shank, and wrap firmly, evenly and closely down toward the bend of the hook, using as much strain in wrapping as the silk will bear, and continue the wrapping for a short distance, or six or eight turns, below the end of the gut. Begin the wrapping just below the end of the shank, leaving its tip bare, and finish the wrapping with the invisible knot. The invisible knot is formed in two ways : one by revers- ing the hook in the fingers of the left hand, so that the shank points to the left, and laying the silk along the shank with its end beyond the end of the shank, leaving a loop of the silk to continue the wrapping, around the shank, gut and silk, passing the loop over and around the bend of the hook 118 SUPPLEMENT TO THE BOOK! OF THE BLACK BASS. at each turn, until four or five turns are made, and then drawing the silk back by its end, through the turns, draw- ing tightly, and clipping off the end closely. It is more easily done than described. Another way of making the invisible kno.t, or rather a different way of doing the same thing, is to lay a doubled thread of finer (unwaxed) silk along the wrapping, its -loop being toward the bend of the hook, and include this doubled thread In the last four or five turns around the shank and gut, but not wrapping quite so firmly as before, and then pass the end of the wrapping silk through the loop, by means of which the wrapping thread is pulled back and out under these last turns, and after drawing snugly and tightly the end is to be closely clipped off. When the wrapping is completed, "it is to be well coated with shellac varnish by means of a camel's hair pencil. CHAPTER XIV. ARTIFICIAL FLIES. THERE are flies and flies. Nearly every angler has his favorites, both in general and special flies. Very often the preference is purely fanciful, but it is a pardonable weak- ness, to which we are all more or less prone ; and then it can not do much harm, for I believe that, in most instances, we are more choice in the matter than the fish themselves. The facts are, that, when fish are rising freely, almost any fly will kill ; but when they are shy and diffident, it is only flies of certain colors, or combinations of colors, and skill- fully cast, that seem to induce a rise. Perhaps, after all, it is the manner of offering, rather than its peculiar features, that renders a particular fly more killing than others at cer- tain times. But that there are some flies that are more generally and uniformly killing, day in and day out, on various waters, is a fact proved by practical experience, and generally admit- ted by fly fishers. Among these are notably the Coachman, Grizzly King, Professor, Red Ibis arid the several hackles or palmers. These were all originally trout flies, but they answer as good a purpose for the Black Bass when made of the proper size, which is nearly twice as large as the ordi- nary trout fly. We really do not know, exactly, what color or combina- tion of colors, or just what form or size, they prefer. Some- times they will take any thing made of feathers, tinsel, silk, (119) 120 SUPPLEMENT TO THE BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. or wool, or a bit of rag, and of any known color ; at other times they will notice only certain colors or sizes, and at still other times they will rise to nothing in the semblance of an artificial fly. Then, again, a fly or flies that are kill- ing on some waters are comparatively useless on others. If we knew the " particular vanity " of the Black Bass in color or colors, or if he is color-blind, just what form or size is most tempting, we should have an easy task. Expe- rience and observation teach us, however, that the Black Bass, like most other game fishes, seems to have a penchant for red, yellow, brown and black, and at times gray and green, and many artificial flies embody one or more of these colors in their construction, and they are usually killing flies. Perhaps this can be better shown in the following table, where the predominating colors of body, wings and hackle are readily seen : NAME OF FLY. BODY. WINGS. HACKLE. Montreal Red. Brown. Red. Polka Red Gray Red King of the Water .. Red Gray Red Abbey Red. Gray. Red. Red Ibis Red Red Red Lord Baltimore * . Yellow Black Black Oconomowoc Yellow Brown Dun Queen of the \Vater Yellow Gray Red Professor Yellow. Gray. Brown. Yellow. Brown. Green. Oriole Black. Yellow. Black. Green. Gray. Gray. Green. Brown. Red. Herl. White. Brown. Henshall Herl. Gray. White. White Miller White. White. White. Gray. Gray. White. ARTIFICIAL FLIES. 121 The above 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 above 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 gen- eral 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 ; arid this is one of the glo- rious 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, leaving to others the praise or condemnation due them. The for- mulae 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 herl ; 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 : , 11 * 122 SUPPLEMENT TO THE BOOK OP THE BLACK BASS. Lord Baltimore, — Body, orange ; hackle, tail and wings, black, with small upper wings of jungle-cock. 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. I have been experimenting with a fly, of my own design- ing, for several seasons, that is as yet a puzzle to me. Sometimes it is the most killing fly I ever cast, the Bass rising to it madly when they would notice no other fly ; but on other occasions it is notlat all successful, the Bass re- fusing it altogether, always taking the other fly in the cast. I have not yet determined the most suitable conditions and occasions for using it, though I am inclined to think it best on cloudy days. 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 herl).; 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 ARTIFICIAL FLIES. 123 Patent Fluttering Fly. (Abbey & Imbrie.) of the hook, or opposite to the point. A glance at the above illustration will explain this better than any descrip- tion. It will readily be seen that when this, fly is drawn through the water, the wings and hackle, instead of closing, as in the ordinary fly, expand — which, it is claimed, gives it a fluttering, lifelike motion, similar to that of a struggling, half-drowned insect. The barb being near the head of the fly, it is further claimed, is more likely to fasten the fish, as it is almost sure to be hooked if it touches the fly. I have used these flies, arid like them very much, though I have not had experience enough with them to determine whether they are better, under any or all circumstances, than the ordinary fly. They are well worthy of a trial, arid every progressive fly-fisher should add a few of his favorite flies, tied in this manner, to his fly-book. 124 SUPPLEMENT TO THE BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. Pearl Spoon Bait. (Win. Mills & Son.) Hammered Spoon Bait. (Abbey & Imbrie.) Hammered Spoon Bait. (Thos. J. Conroy.) CHAPTER XV. ARTIFICIAL BAITS. 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. In trolling spoons 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 revolve, has been resorted to ; and it has been fluted, hammered and corrugated ; and grooved, ribbed and perfo- rated ; 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 murderous-looking instruments of torture ever devised for the use of the followers of the meek and gentle Walton. 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. (125) 126 SUPPLEMENT TO THE BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. 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 ? All triangles, double hooks and gangs are English abominations invented or devised by the devil, or his children, the pot-fishers, for pike fishing. There is nothing so effective as the single hook for any kind of fishing. The fish is more certain of being hooked, more certain 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 premaxillary bone (upper lip and jaw) torn off by these murderous 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. One of the most effective improvements in spoon-baits is the so-called " hammered " spoon. It is simply the old oval spoon with the convex surface " hammered " or pressed into polygonal depressions and ridges, presenting numerous facets for the play and sparkle of the light and sunshine when revolving. As made by Conroy, and Abbey & Imbrie, and Spalding Brothers, they can not be surpassed ; and if a single hook was attached instead of the triple hook or triangle, we could use them with a clear conscience. The Spaldings make their spoon with a lower section hammered and plain above. I have used the smallest size, No. 1, hav- ing the hammered section nickled and the plain section gilt, ARTIFICIAL BAITS. 127 with a single hook, on a fly-rod, in swift, tumbling waters, with good effect. There is nothing in this line more beautiful than the pearl spoon; and it will always be a " spoon," for being made of shell it can never be bent or twisted into the fan- ciful forms of some of the metal ones. It is very effective as a lure, and the smallest sizes are well adapted for the fly-rod in broken waters. Adjustable Fly-Spoon. (Wm. Mills & Son.) One of the neatest things in the way of a revolving bait is the adjustable fly-spoon of Wm. Mills & Son. This small spoon can be readily adjusted to a snelled hook or an arti- ficial fly, and will be found very suitable for the white water of riffles and rapids. ARTIFICIAL MINNOWS. Mr. Imbrie sent me for trial a soft and flexible artificial minnow of the style known as the " phantom," which he calls the " Capelin " phantom. After divesting it of the several triangles of hooks which are always attached to arti- ficial minnows, and re-investing it with a single small hook, I used it with remarkably good success in the rough water under mill-dams. It is a very durable bait and is made in 128 SUPPLEMENT TO THE BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. a first-class manner, and when spinning in swift water pre- sents a very life-like appearance, being bright and silvery in color. ARTIFICIAL BAITS. Improved Artificial Mouse.— Fur Body. (Thos. J. Conroy.) The above is a very life-like imitation of a mouse and is well calculated to deceive. It is well known that very large trout and Black Bass have been caught with a live mouse as bait, and it remains to be seen whether the imitation will be as successful. Three 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. Upon my arrival at the hotel I imparted what I had seen to a friend who was very anxious to kill a large trout, and who next day repaired to the spot and suc- ceeded in taking it; it weighed fully one and a half pounds, and was a good fish for that stream. CHAPTER XVI. NATURAL BAITS. THERE is not much to be added to the Chapter on Na- tural Baits. There have been some changes in the scien- tific nomenclature of the cyprinoid fishes, or minnows, men- tioned on page 318 of " The Book of the Black Bass," owing to a better understanding of the ichthyology of North America, The common shiner is now known as Notropis megalops ; the creek chub as Semotilus atromaculatm ; and the horned, or river chub as Hybopsis kentuckiensis. To these may be added the steel-backed minnow, Campostoma anomalum, which is a very common minnow, brassy in coloration, and much mottled with dark blotches ; it has thick, tough lips, almost sucker-like, and is a favorite bait on Kentucky and Ohio streams. There are a dozen or more species of minnows used for bait, in Black Bass fishing, and which are indiscriminately called by anglers "chubs" and 4fc shiners;" but it would only cause confusion to allude to their scientific names. (129) 130 SUPPLEMENT TO THE BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. Conroy's Improved Fly-Book. (Thos. J. Conroy, 65 Fulton St., N. Y.) CHAPTER XVII. MISCELLANEOUS IMPLEMENTS. 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. FLY-BOOKS. Every 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 flies, and also as to details of construction and finish. The "Bray" patent fly-book, manufactured by Spalding Brothers, is a very strong and substantial leather book. The fly-leaves are made of stiff waterproof board with metallic surfaces, at one or both ends of which is riveted a strong nickel frame, scalloped to accommodate a dozen flies. The snells are stretched and secured by means of two long and closely-coiled spiral springs, placed completely across the page, at equal distances apart, which are fastened to the (131) 132 SUPPLEMENT TO THE BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. MISCELLANEOUS IMPLEMENTS. 133 page by strong, flat nickel bars running through them and riveted to the page at the edges. These bars and the fly- frames are placed opposite to each other on the two sides of the leaf, and the ends are firmly riveted to each other through the leaf. The snells are very readily attached or detached, regardless of their length, and held straight. Between the fly-leaves are leather leaves faced with flannel, to absorb the moisture from wet flies. A large pocket is placed at one part of the book for leaders, and the whole is securely closed by a neat spring catch. Thos. J. Conroy's " Improved " patent fly-book has double parchment leaves, with metal frame, firmly stitched together with silk. At each end are strong double nickel racks, riveted through to those on the reverse side of the leaf in a very secure manner. One bar of the double rack is fitted with flat metal hooks, and the other with neat spiral springs terminating also in hooks. The fly is affixed to the hooked end of the spiral spring at one end of the fly- leaf, and the loop of the snell is attached to the flat hook of the rack at the opposite end" of the leaf, stretching the snell to its full extent, and, of course, keeping it perfectly straight. The racks, with their hooks and springs, are very substantially made, and hold a dozen flies to a page, be- tween which are extra parchment leaves. The cover of the book is made entirely of leather, with a large leather pocket at each end of the book, and a parchment pocket for lead- ers. The whole is secured by a very neat and strong clasp. A. B. Shipley & Son's patent fly-book is neatly made of leather, with pockets at either end for leaders and snelled hooks, or short-looped flies, and is closed by a strong spring clasp. The fly-leaves are made of double parchment, or of celluloid, neatly stitched and bound on the edges. They 134 SUPPLEMENT TO THE BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. The " Levison " Ply-Book. (Wm, Mills &*Son, 7 Warren St., N. Y.) MISCELLANEOUS IMPLEMENTS. 135 Patent Celluloid Fly-Book. (A. B. Shipley & Son.) have metal clips at each end for attaching the fly-hook, with two rows of spring clasps between for securing the snell, keeping it straight without regard to its length. These clips and clasps do not increase the bulk of the book nor add much to its weight, while the flies are placed in position and removed very readily. Mr. Thos. H. Chubb has patented and manufactures two styles of fly-book, both of which subserve the same pur- poses, though in a somewhat different manner. One has scalloped nickel frames at the two ends of the fly-leaf for affixing the flies, and two nickel bars at equal distances be- tween, on which are placed short spiral springs for securing the snells, irrespective of their length. The other has cor- rugated nickel frames at the ends for the adjustment of the flies, with two nickel bars between, which have, instead of spiral springs, flat spring clasps for securing snells 136 SUPPLEMENT TO THE BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. Patent Clip(Open) The "Southside" Fly-Book. (Abbey & Imbrie, 18 Vesey St., N. Y.) MISCELLANEOUS IMPLEMENTS. 137 of any length. The frames and bars are placed opposite to each other on the two sides of the leaf and riveted firmly together. The spiral spring page holds a dozen, and the flat spring page two dozen flies. Between the fly-leaves are leaves of leather and absorbent material. The books are strongly and neatly made of leather, and have pockets for leaders and snelled hooks, and are closed by durable spring catches. Wm. Mills & Son's patent fly-book, the "Levison," is made of fine leather in the usiial style, with pockets and metal clasp, in a first-class and durable manner throughout. The flies are adjusted by means of slotted hooks at one end and neat spiral springs at the other. By means of the slotted hook, snells with a knot, instead of a loop, can be as readily attached as the looped snell. The snells are kept perfectly straight and at full length by this method, and any fly can be removed without disturbing the others. The pages are arranged for both Black Bass and trout flies. Abbie & Imbrie's patent clip fly-book is substantially made in several different sizes and styles, with leader pockets and felt leaves for absorbing moisture from wet flies. The flies and snells are attached at full length by the patent'clips at the top and bottom of the pages, and very short snells are secured by parchment bands. The leaves are formed of double parchment neatly stitched along the edges. In addition to leader pockets, there are smaller ones for short-looped flies. The books are made entirely of leather and parchment, with an improved form of clasp. Mr. Imbrie also makes the "Endicott" book, on the spiral spring and patent clip principle, in addition to other styles of fly-books. 12 138 SUPPLEMENT TO THE BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. Hook and Tackle Book. |(Wm. Mills & Son.) TACKLE-BOOKS. There is nothing handier than a good tackle-book. I have been shown one by Mills & Son which is made of leather, in the bellows or accordeon style, so that, like an omnibus, it is never full. It has half a dozen large pockets for leaders or snelled hooks, extra lines, wrapping silk, etc.; and each large pocket has a supplementary small one, which can be utilized for short-looped flies, loose hooks, sinkers, swivels, etc. Where looped leaders, double-looped snells and short-looped flies, or eyed-hook flies are used, it is just the article for holding them. It is firmly closed by a long leather strap arid flat loops. MISCELLANEOUS IMPLEMENTS. 139 Leader-Box. (Wm. Mills & Son.) LEADER-BOXES. Before using leaders it is of course necessary to straighten them by soaking in water, or by the more tedious process of rubbing with gutta-percha. This often causes vexatious delay to the impatient angler, but it can be entirely obvi- ated by the use of a leader-box. Almost any kind of a flat, round metal box will answer the purpose. I bought one in England, and a very nice one, with a small box in the cen- ter of the large one for eyed-hook flies, but it is too large to go into any pocket, unless one especially made for it. Another one that I procured from Mills & Son is just the thing. It will go into an ordinary pocket ; has rounded corners, and being nickel-plated will not rust or tarnish. It is fitted with two pieces of thick felt, which, being damp- ened, enclose the leaders, which are thus always ready for use. Its cost is only fifty cents. Its size 3£ by 4J inches. 140 SUPPLEMENT TO THE BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. No. 1. No. 2. No. 3, Patent Landing-Net Frames. No. 1. Chas. F. Orvis, Manchester, Vt. No. 2. Win. Mills & Son, 7 Warren" St., N. Y. No. 3. Thos. J. Conroy, 65 Fulton St., N. Y. MISCELLANEOUS IMPLEMENTS. 141 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 simple wooden-bowed net to the more elaborate And port- able net-frames of whalebone, steel and brass. Mr. C. F. Orvis makes a very useful and meritorious net- frame, combining two handles, a long one and a short one, of bamboo, which are joined by a strong ferrule. The short handle is used in wading the stream and has a ring at the end for attaching a loop by which it can be fastened to a button on the coat or creel-strap. The long handle is for fishing from a boat or the bank. The rim of the net is a piece of fiat steel, nickel-plated, and is readily attached to or detached from the handle ; when not in use it is in- serted into the long handle, which has a screw-cap at the end. Wm. Mills & Son have patented the " Dorsal Fin " net- ring and handle, which is a very compact and convenient tool. The net-ring is made of flexible metal, brass or nickel-plated, which, when released from its socket at the end of the handle, can be straightened and inserted into the hollow bamboo handle. The net can be carried in the creel or the pocket. The " Bailey " patent landing-net frame, sold by Thos. J. Conroy, is another example of the principle of carrying the net-ring in a hollow bamboo handle, and a glance at the illustration will show the method of attaching the ring to the handle. The ends of the spring-brass ring (A) have holes (a a) in them which are passed through slots in the ring holder and over the pins (b 6), when the natural spring of the metal holds every thing firmly and securely. 142 SUPPLEMENT TO THE BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. I MISCELLANEOUS IMPLEMENTS. _ 143 DlSGORGERS AND EXTRACTORS. Very often a Bass, or it may be a pike, pickerel, or wall- eye, is hooked in the throat or gullet, and it is difficult to dislodge the hook. In order to render this easy to do, and at the same time to prevent the fingers of the angler from being scratciied or lacerated by the teeth of the fish, a dis- gorger becomes a very useful tool. There are a number of ingeniously devised implements for the purpose. One of the best is Foard's patent fish hook extractor or disgorger, sold by Thos. J. Conroy. The directions for its employment are to use the end of the instrument corre- sponding to the size of the hook, draw the line taut, and ru-n 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 is sold by A. B. Shipley & Son. It has a V-shaped knife at one extremity for dis- lodging the hook, the other being a screw-driver, while the shank of the instrument is a file. It is a very useful, con- venient and portable combination. The file is useful for touching up the point of the hook, while the screw-driver may be required for taking apart a refractory reel. Wm. Mills & Son have a disgorger with a long and stiff wire handle, the knife being a slotted tube, for admitting the snell, with the end of the tube ground to a sharp, cut- ting edge. There are a number of other forms in the market, but these are among the best. 144 SUPPLEMENT TO THE BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. (A. B. Shipley & Son.) (Wm. Mills & Son.) MISCELLANEOUS IMPLEMENTS. 145 MINNOW-BUCKETS. TKe "Acme " minnow-bucket, of Wm. Mills & Son, is substantially made of heavy tin and handsomely japanned. The inside pail of perforated tin can be removed and placed in the water, thus keeping the bait alive for an indefinite time ; it can be raised or lowered to allow the selection of a bait without wetting the hand. The continuous flowing of the water through the perforations, during transportation, has a tendency to aerate the water and keep the bait alive. A. B. Shipley & Son's double minnow-bucket is strongly and durably made and handsomely japanned and orna- mented. The inner pail is made of perforated tin, with plenty of space between it and the outer pail for a free cir- culation of the water. It has all the well-known advan- tages of the double pail. Rudolph's Patent Floating Minnow- Bucket. (A. G. SpaMing & Bros.) Rudolph's floating minnow-pail, sold by A. G. Spalding 13 146 SUPPLEMENT TO THE BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. Bros., is one of the best articles in this line. The inside pail is made of strong galvanized wire-cloth, and has an air chamber secured to the inside of the lid, by means of which it will float at the surface of the water ; and when fishing from a boat it can be made fast by a string, and the use of the outside pail can be dispensed with. Rudolph's Patent Floating Minnow-Pocket. (A. Q. Spalding & Bros.) The floating principle is also applied to a netted pocket, or minnow-bag, which is well adapted to the use of the angler when fishing a stream by wading. Or where there are two anglers in the same boat, each can have his minnow pocket at his own end of the boat, a convenience that will be appreciated by the social angler, who always wants a companion or two in his boat. The cuts show the minnow pocket ready for use, and folded. ANGLER'S PLIERS. A very useful little implement is shown below, combin- ing six different tools in one, namely : A, strong round- MISCELLANEOUS IMPLEMENTS. 147 Angler's Pliers. (Thos. J. Conroy.) nosed pliers ; B, knife for splitting shot ; C, fine wire cut- ter ; D, strong wire cutter ; E, screw-driver ; F, reamer. They weigh only four ounces, and are made of the best steel and in the best manner, and will be found thoroughly reli- able. The cut is 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. ROD HOLDER. This device is intended for trolling or still fishing, and enables the angler to dispense with the services of a boat- man. It can be fastened to either the gunwale, as in Fig. 2; or to a seat, as in Fig. 1. By means of the thumb- screw it can be adjusted to any angle or direction, as it works on a ball-and-socket joint. While the rod is held perfectly secure, it can be taken out or replaced in a mo- ment, whether the reel is below or above the grip. The crotches for the rod are covered with soft rubber, so that there is no more liability of scratching or bruising it than 148 SUPPLEMENT TO THE BOOK OF THE BLACK BA8S. Big. 1. Universal Bod Holder. (A. G. Spalding & Bros.) Fig. 2 if held in the hand. It is made of malleable iron, neatly tinned, and is well adapted for the purposes of its con- struction. WADING-SHOES. A good wading-shoe is a great desideratum for the stream fisher. While leather brogans are very comfortable, and answer the purpose admirably, it is necessary to take the best care of them in order that they may be kept soft and pliable ; a liberal application of castor oil, while wet, is the best plan for accomplishing this result. Very few anglers, however, attend to this matter as they should, and are very loth to give the needed attention to leather wading-shoes when through fishing ; consequently, when next needed they are as hard and stiff as a board. Conroy's Improved Wading-Shoes will be found to satisfy the average angler better than leather shoes. They are strongly made of heavy canvas, dry quickly, and do not MISCELLANEOUS IMPLEMENTS. 149 Improved Canvas Wading-Shoes. (Thos. J. Conroy.) harden with drying. They are supplied with soft hob-nails to prevent slipping on rocks, and may be worn with or without wading stockings. FlSHING-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 150 SUPPLEMENT TO THE BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS, fi MISCELLANEOUS IMPLEMENTS. 151 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 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. 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 ex- cuse, for the amount usually paid for boat hire daring a fishing vacation would be more than ample for the purchase and freight charges of a good, safe, dry and comfortable boat. "EUREKA" FISHING-BOAT. R. J. Douglas & Co., of Waukegan, Illinois, who build any thing from a steam-launch or a sloop-yacht to a ten- pound canoe, have given much thought and attention to the building of fishing-boats at a moderate price, and have suc- ceeded in producing a very low-priced, yet well-modeled and desirable boat, one that an angler can afford to own who can. spend but a few days in the year fishing. They are enabled to do this by building this style of boat in large numbers, and in employing on them the same work- men the year round. They have them on hand, always, so that they can be ordered by telegraph, and the angler can 152 SUPPLEMENT TO THE BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. MISCELLANEOUS IMPLEMENTS. 153 be supplied with a good boat, almost anywhere, within a few days after ordering. This style of boat they call " Eureka," and is made with either square or sharp stern, the former being the stiffest and best for angling. They are made in two sizes : 13 ft. x 36 in., or 15 ft. x 38 in., and 10 or 12 inches deep, and weigh about 100 and 110 pounds. They are built of bass- wood, pine, or white cedar, at twenty, twenty-five or thirty dollars. I have used a number of boats and canoes built by R. J. Douglas & Co., and can safely recommend their work, and particularly the " Eureka," for anglers. It is built as follows : Instead of keel, it has a ten-inch bottom board, J inch thick, which makes it perfectly flat on bottom, and it has five strakes on a side. The frames, stems and wales are of selected white oak, in all grades, and in basswood boats the bottom and first two strakes are of pine or cedar, and only the three upper strakes of basswood. The planking is f inch thick in clinkers, and J inch in carvel boats. The row- locks are of their own design and the sockets are fastened on with bolts so that they can not pull off. Instead of wood knees, they use a malleable iron brace from wales to seat, which is also fastened on with stove-bolts. The boat is fitted with a good pair of ash oars and malleable iron rowlocks, is seated for three persons, and has three coats of paint on it. It makes a fine-looking, steady, strong and very serviceable boat for nearly all uses. OSGOOD'S PORTABLE CANVAS BOAT. If the angler wishes a portable boat, one that he can take in his buggy and drive to his favorite water near home, or pack in its box and ship by rail to any part of the country, 154 SUPPLEMENT TO THE BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. there is none that is so well known and so highly spoken of by sportsmen generally as Osgood's Portable Folding Can- vas Boat ; and it deserves all the praise bestowed upon it. It is as light as a birch-bark canoe, but stronger ; it will live in a sea where an ordinary wooden skiff would be swamped. It has been in use for many years, and has with- stood the severest tests ; many improvements have been added since it was first introduced. Mr. Osgood says : "As now made, it is as near perfect as it is possible to manu- facture it. The canvas is drawn smooth, and all the fittings work easily. It has a perfectly modeled flat bottom, which makes it very steady and staunch, and entirely free from the roll of other boats of the same size. No danger of its tipping over. Any lady can row it, for it does not require one-half the strength to handle that a wooden boat does. It can be made ready for the water in five minutes, and no tools or ingenuity are required to set it up." FiS-8. The above is a view of the boat in its compact or port- able form, showing boat folded, bottom-board, camp-stools, gunwale, stretcher ancl packing-chest ; oars and paddles are jointed, and pack in chest with boat. The materials used in its construction are first class throughout. It is made in several sizes from 8 ft. x 33 MISCELLANEOUS IMPLEMENTS. 155 inches, to 15 ft. x 36 inches, and weighs from twenty to seventy-five pounds, according to size, and the way it is fitted up. The best size for angling, for two persons, is 12 ft. x 33 inches, weighing with every thing complete fifty pounds. The price varies from thirty to fifty dollars, ac- cording to size. PART III. 4 ANGLING AND FLY-FISHING. CHAPTER XVIIL THE PHILOSOPHY OF ANGLING. 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 prac- tice more nearly approaches and deserves its appellation 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 by 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 be- come 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 (169) 160 SUPPLEMENT TO THE BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. grassy slopes, that gives to the art of angling its chiefest charm, and presents the Bass or the trout to the angler in 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. I am 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 transi- tion from the love of angling to the love of nature and nat- ure's God. I feel more like presenting it because it is an extract from a sermon of one (Rev. 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 expe- rience, 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 love waters where boats can not follow them, nor even lumber logs roll free ; \vaters 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- THE PHILOSOPHY OF ANGLING. 161 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, 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 guage 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 confi- dent 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 pain necessary to attain Godlike end. Luck enough for time or eternity, Nay, eternal sport in time," 14 CHAPTER XIX. CONDITIONS WHICH GOVERN THE BITING OF FISH. AFTER a careful reading of this chapter it would seem that there was nothing to add to this very uncertain sub- ject; for we really know very little about it. We only know that when fishing a favorable locality where there are "thousands" 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 occa- sions. Why is it then that so few, out of so many, respond to the angler's fly or bait? It is best that it is so; but why is it so ? This is the query that naturally rises to the ang- ler's mind, especially after an unsuccessful day. I 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 (162) CONDITIONS WHICH GOVERN THE BITING OF FISH. 163 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 minor- ity 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 evi- dently 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, etc., 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 be- ing swallowed by their larger and piscivorous congeners. 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 ob- served that they were always near the shores or on the shal- lows 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 164 SUPPLEMENT TO THE BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. 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 tha| 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 most of the " bad luck " of the angler. CHAPTER XX. THE BLACK BASS AS A GAME FISH. OWING to my admiration for the Black Bass as a game fish, and my championship of its cause for many years, and my efforts to place it in the front rank of game fishes, and my desire to have it placed in new waters, I am sometimes, thoughtlessly and unjustly, accused of being opposed to the brook-trout, and of advising the stocking of trout-streams with my " favorite " fish. Nothing can be further from the truth. I am utterly opposed to the introduction of Black Bass into waters in which there is the remotest chance for the brook-trout or rainbow-trout to thrive. I yield to no one in love and admiration for the brook-trout. I was perfectly familiar with it before I ever" saw a Black Bass ; but I am not so blinded by prejudice but that I can share that love with the Black Bass, which for several reasons is des- tined to become the favorite game-fish of America. " My offending hath this extent, no more." Let us look this thing squarely in the face. I do not wish to disturb any one's preference, but I do want to dis- abuse the minds of anglers of all prejudice in the matter. The brook-trout must go. It has .already gone from many streams, and is fast disappearing from others. It is sad to contemplate the extinction of the " angler's pride " in pub- lic waters, but the stern fact remains that in this utilitarian age its days are numbered and its fate irrevocably sealed. (165) 166 SUPPLEMENT TO THE BOOK OF THE BLACK BASfc. As the red man disappears before the tread of the white man, the " living arrow " of the mountain streams goes with him. The trout is essentially a creature of the pine forests. Its natural home is in waters shaded by pine, balsam, spruce and hemlock, where the cold mountain brooks retain their low temperature, and the air is redolent with balsamic fra- rance ; where the natural food of the trout is produced in the greatest abundance, and where its breeding grounds are undisturbed. But the iron has entered its soul. As the buffalo disap- pears before the iron horse, the brook-trout vanishes before the axe of the lumberman. As the giants of the forest are laid low, and the rank and file decimated, and the wooden walls of the streams battered down, the hot, fiery sun leaps through the breaches, disclosing the most secret recesses of forest and stream to the bright glare of mid-day. The moisture of the earth is dissipated, the mosses and ferns become shriveled and dry, the wintergreen and partridge- berry, the ground pine and trailing arbutus struggle feebly for existence ; the waters decrease in size and increase in temperature, the conditions of the food supply and of the breeding-grounds of the brook-trout are changed; it dete- riorates in size and numbers and vitality, until finally, in accordance with the immutable laws of nature and the great principle of the " survival of the fittest " (not the fittest from the angler's point of view, but the fittest to survive the changes and mutations consequent on the march of civilization), it disappears altogether. Much has been said about the " trout hog " in connec- tion with the decrease of the trout. But while he deserves all the odium and contempt heaped upon him by the honest THE BLACK BASS AS A GAME FISH. 167 angler, the result would be the same were the trout allowed undisturbed and peaceable possession of the streams, so far as the fish-hook is concerned, while the axe of the lumber- man continues to ring its death knell. Let us, then, cherish and foster and protect the crimson- spotted favorite of our youthful days as long as possible in public waters, and introduce the rainbow-trout, or the Dolly Varden, or some of the Pacific black-spotted trout, or the English brown trout, when he has disappeared ; and when all these succumb, then, and not till then, introduce the Black Bass. But let us give these cousins of the brook trout a fair trial first, and without prejudice. There are plenty of lakes, ponds and large streams in the Eastern States into which the Black Bass can be introduced without interfering with trout-waters. For many years to come brook-trout will be artificially cultivated, and the supply thus kept up in preserved waters by wealthy angling clubs ; but by the alteration of the na- tural conditions of their existence they will gradually de- crease in size and quality, until finally they will either cease to be or degenerate to such a degree as to forfeit even this praiseworthy protection. I must dissent from the statement sometimes made that the Black Bass is the bluefish of fresh waters. The Black Bass is voracious — so are all game fishes — but not more so than the brook-trout. The character of a fish's teeth de- termines the nature of its food and the manner of its feed- ing. The bluefish has the most formidable array of teeth of any fish of its size — compressed, lancet-shaped, covered with enamel, and exceedingly strong and sharp, in fact, miniature shark teeth — while the Black Bass has soft, small, brush-like teeth, incapable of wounding, and intended 168 SUPPLEMENT TO THE BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. only for holding its prey, which is swallowed whole. The brook-trout has longer, stronger and sharper teeth than the Bass, and a large, long mouth, capable of swallowing a big- ger fish than a Black Bass of equal weight. The mouth of the Bass is very wide, for the purpose of taking in crawfish with their long and aggressive claws, and not, as supposed by some, for the swallowing of large fishes. The Black Bass gets the best of other game fishes, not by devouring the fishes themselves, but by devouring their food. For this reason, more than any other, they should not be intro- duced into the same waters with brook-trout. The pike or pickerel is the bluefish of fresh waters, and in dental ca- pacity and destructive possibilities is'not far behind it. The brook-trout, I think, is the most beautiful of all fishes, as a fresh-run salmon is the handsomest and most perfect in form. The salmon is a king, the brook trout a courtier, but the Black Bass, in his virescent cuirass and spiny crest, is a doughty warrior whose prowess none can gainsay. I have fished for brook-trout in the wilds of Canada, where a dozen would rise at every cast of the fly, and it would be a scramble as to which should get it — great lusty trout, from a half pound to two pounds in weight — but the black fly made life a burden by day, and the mosquito by night. The glory and beauty of the madly rushing stream breaking Wildly over the great black rocks, and the quiet, glassy pools below reflecting the green spires of spruce and fir, availed nothing to the swollen eyelids and smarting brow. I have cast from early morn till dewy eve, on a good sal- mon stream in New Brunswick, for three days in succession without a single rise. I have cast standing in a birch-bark THE BLACK BASS AS A GAME FISH. 169 canoe until both arms and legs were weary with the strain, and then rested by casting while sitting — but all in vain. The swift-flowing, crystal stream reflected back the fierce glare of the northern sun, and flowed on in silence toward the sea. The fir-clad hills rose boldly on either side, and stood in silent, solemn grandeur — for neither note of bird nor hum of bee disturbed the painful silence of the Cana- dian woods. At such times would flash on memory's mirror many a fair scene of limpid lake or rushing river, shadowed by cool, umbrageous trees, and vocal with myriads of voices — where the Black Bass rose responsive to the swish of the rod and dropping of the fly. Or, should the Bass be coy and shy, or loth to leave his lair beneath some root or shelv- ing rock — the melody of the birds, the tinkle of a cow-bell, the chirp of a cricket, the scudding of a squirrel, filled up the void and made full compensation. The true angler can find real pleasure in catching little sunfish, or silversides, if the stream and birds, and bees and butterflies do their part by him ; while the killing of large or many fish, even salmon or trout, in silence and solitude, may fail to fully satisfy him. I can find something beautiful or interesting in every fish that swims. I have an abiding affection for every one, from the lowly, naked bull-head, the humble scavenger of the waters, to the silver-spangled king who will not deign to soil his dainty lips with food during his sojourn in crystal streams, and I love the brook-trout best of all. But, as an angler, I can find more true enjoyment, more blessed peace, in wading some rushing, rocky stream, flecked by the shad- ows of overhanging elm and sycamore, while tossing the 15 170 SUPPLEMENT TO THE BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. silken gage to the knight in Lincoln-green, my ears con- scious of the rippling laughter of the merry stream, the joyous matin of the woodland thrush, the purring under- tone of the quivering leaves — my eyes catching glimpses of hill and meadow, wren and robin, bee and bittern, fern and flower, and my breath inhaling the sweet fragrance of upland clover and elder-blossom — I say I can find more true enjoyment in this — than paying court to the lordly salmon, or the lovely trout, in its stiff and silent demesne, with annointed face, gloved hands, and head swathed in gauze. If this be treason, my brother, make the most of it. I am content. It is my honest conviction. After killing every species of game-fish east of the Rocky Mountains, from Canada to Florida, and a few in foreign lands, I find the knightly Bass and his tourney-field all sufficient. CHAPTER XXI. FLY-FISHING. THE literature of Black Bass fishing may truly be said to have been evolved during the past decade. Previous to this period very little mention was made of the two species of Black Bass by our angling authors, and that little was mis- leading, incorrect or glaringly false in most instances, and related, almost without exception, to bait fishing. Fly-fish- ing for Black Bass, although then practiced by a few ang- lers, was apparently unknown to writers on angling. In- deed, it was doubted by many, and denied by most anglers, that the Black Bass would rise to the artificial fly; but this, in my opinion, was due more to prejudice than to the result of actual experience, and viewed in the light of our present knowledge of the subject, this opinion is certainly strength- ened, if not confirmed. Up to that time the brook-trout was deservedly the pride arid idol of the fly-fisher, and it was deemed heresy to cast the fly for any other fish, with the exception of the salmon. But while yielding to none in my love and admiration for the brook-trout, it is a pleasure for me to state that, in my opinion (based on a large experience), there are no waters inhabited by the Black Bass, large or small mouth, where it will not rise to the artificial fly at some season of the year, subject to certain states and conditions of the water, etc., and this is as much as can belaid for the brook -trout, as all unprejudiced trout-fishers must admit. (171) 172 SUPPLEMENT TO THE BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. It is true that the Black Bass rises to the fly more freely and uniformly in some waters than in others, but this fact holds good also as to the brook-trout. And likewise is it a truism, that the largest fish, trout or Bass, do not, as a rule, take the artificial fly. Those who wish to lure the finny giants must perforce use bait or the trolling-spoon. This is a damaging admission to our piscatorial pride, but can- dor compels us to acknowledge the correctness of it, though we may find some guilty consolation or quasi-satisfaction in exhibiting the huge piscine trophies to our admiring and credulous friends with the usual remark : " Caught on the fly ! " Seriously, it is entirely unnecessary, at this late day, to argue that the Black Bass will or will not rise to the arti- ficial fly. The fact is now known to many anglers, and con- ceded by others, that the Black Bass is a game-fish of high degree, and when of equal weight is the peer of the brook trout or salmon in fighting qualities, when proper tackle is employed, and will rise to the fly under the same favorable conditions. PRACTICAL HINTS. In order to be successful in fly-fishing for Black Bass, the angler must know the waters to be fished, or be pos- sessed of that knowledge of the haunts and habits of the Bass that is born only of much experience. He must know when and where the fish are to be found at the differ- ent "seasons of the year ; when they frequent deep, and when shallow water, for it is love's labor lost to cast the fly on deep, still reaches of water. In stream-fishing, which is by far more pr'eferable and enjoyable than lake or pond-fishing, it is only when the Bass are on the shallows or on the riffles that the fly-fisher FLY-FISHING. 173 will fill his creel, and on lakes when they frequent reefs, shoals, bars, and the neighborhood of rushes and weed patches. These times are usually in the spring or early summer, and in autumn, for in midsummer the Bass retire to deep water, except in large, deep and cool lakes, when this season is often the best, as the water has then become of the right temperature to induce the fish to seek shallow feeding grounds. The habits of the brook-trout have been carefully studied by many generations of fly-fishers and naturalists, conse- quently the trout-fisher knows that during the summer months he will certainly find his quarry in the shallow streams, slowly but surely ascending toward their spawning grounds. He also knows that the big trout has a local habitation under some root, or rock, or hollow bank, which he holds by right of possession, and defends as bravely as ever knight of old his feudal stronghold. He knows, fur- thermore, that he would be considered daft to whip the deepest pools of exposed water, or the mid-surface of deep lakes or ponds. So, when the Bass-fisher knows the habits of the Bass as well, there will be less speculation as to whether or not he will rise to the fly. The stream should always be waded, if practicable, and fished with the current, for it follows that wherever the angler can wade, the water is about right in depth for fly- fishing. He should cast about him in a semi-circle, he being at the center and his casts being the radii, like the spokes of a wheel ; then, lengthening his cast, he can de- scribe the arc of a larger circle, and so cover all the water within reach (within forty or fifty feet), giving preference, of course, to the likeliest spots, as the eddies of bowlders or half-submerged rocks, near logs, driftwood, shoals, bars, 174 SUPPLEMENT TO THE BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. and under overhanging bushes and hollow banks, and over the shallow pools above and below rapids and riffles. After casting, the flies should be roved, skittered or danced over the surface by jerky or tremulous movements, to imitate, as nearly as may be, a living fly, and then be allowed to sink several inches below the surface and float away like a drowned insect to the extreme length of the line. On lakes, where there is no current, the flies should also be permitted to sink over likely spots at almost every cast. Lakes or deep ponds should be fished from a boat, keeping in the deeper water and casting inshore on the bars, shoals, reefs or ledges, or along the edges of rushes or weed patches. Sometimes rushes or tall weeds grow in pretty deep water, but nevertheless the Bass will usually be found near or among them, and sometimes near or under floating logs or drift ; it is well to try all such places. It will be found that Bass rise to the fly more freely when the water is stirred or ruffled by a brisk breeze, and during the early morning hours and late in the evening ; about sun- set, or a little after, being the very best time on bright days. On cloudy days there is not much choice, as one hour is no more favorable than another, sunny days being always the best. The old rule of light-colored flies for dark days and to- ward evening, and dark flies for bright days, is a safe one to follow, the exceptions rather tending to prove the rule, which usually happen when the fish are well on the feed, and will take almost any fly offered ; thus it is frequently the case that dark flies will kill in the dusk of evening as well as the " Miller " or " Coachman/' It only remains now to say to the reader, as I have often FLY-FISHING. 175 said before, cast as skillfully as you can, but always delib- erately and carefully. Always keep a taut line ; strike quickly upon sight or touch, and play and land your fish in your own way, but get him in the creel as quickly as you can with safety to your tackle ; kill your fish outright be- fore putting him in your basket; do not fish for count ; keep your temper ; and, above all things, remember first, last and all the time the most important rule in fly-fishing — keep out of sight of the fish if you would have him notice your flies. A REMINISCENCE. Toward the close of a day in the mild September, I was leisurely riding my tired mare across the ford of a narrow rocky river that wound around the foot of a thickly-wooded cliff, with here and there a pool in the shadow or a ripple in the sun, while stretching away a mile or two across the fer- tile bottom lands were fields of waving corn, fragrant clover, blue-grass and broad-leaved tobacco. Up the stream a hundred yards away, stood, leaning over the water, an old stone mill, whose lichen-covered walls and moss-grown roof proclaimed its hoary age. Its old wheel went rumbling on its merry round, mingling its regular, rhythmic plashing with the monotone of the tumbling, rush- ing waters of the dam. Down the stream another hundred yards, an old-time, covered bridge, decrepid and gray, spanned the little river, casting cool and dark shadows beneath and below. The sun was sinking low beyond the fields, flinging bars of yellow flame through the slender strips of fleecy clouds that stretched across the western portal of the steel-blue sky, lighting up the crimson of the newly-dyed sumach on the cliff, flashing on the foaming waters of the falls, and fes- 176 SUPPLEMENT TO THE BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. tooning with golden streamers and silver ribbons the long, dank, green arms of the old water-wheel. Beneath the bridge a group of ruminating, sleek-coated cows stood whisking their tails in calm contentment, as the grateful stream laved their cloven feet and their breath ex- haled the odors of sweet cream, white clover and golden butter. As my mare drank deeply from the* refreshing stream, I gazed upon the lovely scene, and thought that nowhere else in all the world but in this broad land of ours could such a a view be found. The sublime glories of the Alps ; the soft Italian skies ; the splendors of the Tropics ; the olive-crowned hills of Andalusia ; the vine-clad slopes of the Riviera — all alike paled before this calm and peaceful, soul-filling, heart-satis- fying, homelike scene. But what was that ? — a bar of silvery sheen flashed for a moment in the sun arid dropped back into the eddy behind yon huge gray boulder under the cliff ! I pretend to be surprised, but — pshaw ! how idle it is to attempt to deceive oneself. All the time that I was hollowly and falsely des- canting upon the matchless beauty of the stream and its surroundings, I, like an artful, double-tongued hypocrite, was watching for the very thing that occurred — the leap of a Bass ! Silently I rode my mare to the shade of the cliff, tied the reins to the convenient limb of a low-branching elm, unstrapped my umbrella from the saddle, and from its folds drew forth a fly-rod that had been artfully and surrepti tiously concealed there — another evidence of the insincer- ity of man. From a corner of my pill-bags I brazenly took out a FLY-FISHING. 177 buckskin bag, in which was a small click-reel with its line of enameled silk. From a pocket of my professional coat I brought to the light of day what, ostensibly, purported to be a prescription book, but in reality was a book of flies ! How guilty I felt ! What an arrant humbug I was ! But there was no time for moralizing — I just heard the splash of another Bass ! I soon had rod and reel, line and leader together, and a "polka" and a "professor" were soon dancing over the water together ! I had stepped from bowlder to bowlder, in the shadow of the cliff, until I had reached a vantage point at the foot and edge of the riffle, with the sun in my face and broken water all around me. I knew of half a dozen deep holes and sheltered eddies within the length of my cast, from which I would be completely hidden by two jagged rocks that rose in front of me, half as high as my head. Then like a guilty thing I began casting in ever-widening circles — all the time pretending to watch the play of the sunshine on the water, or the blackbird that was drinking at the verge of the stream. Then I saw a swirl behind the gray bowlder — but pre- tended to be listening to a squirrel barking at me from the projecting limb of a hickory, whose glossy, green leaves were just touched with the faintest suspicion of old gold. Then. I made another cast as straight as the maple boll behind me. The flies dropped just over and beyond the smooth, gray bowlder, and as they were drawn into its eddy the "polka" disappeared, and something seemed to lift the water just there for an instant, and then — what a lively staccato to that kingfisher's rattle ! But, bless my soul ! it is my reel that is giving so merry a, hum ! I must stop that. Then, as I follow the erratic 178 SUPPLEMENT TO THE BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. flight of a dragon-fly across the stream, I can't help ob- serving my strained line cutting like mad through the water, and as I look up at a crow flying overhead I see that my rod is bent, and strained and twisted, and altogether there seems to be something unusual going on in the water, and as I look — out into the sunshine with bristling fins and red, extended jaws there leaps a Bass ! Then I am kept busy leading my line away from jagged rocks in front, and can only do so by holding my rod at arm's length above my head. But now I have led the cap- tive into the deep pool below me, and near the cliff. Then I have leisure to look up at my squirrel, who, with a hick- ory nut in his paws is raining down the pieces of its hull in a green shower at the river's side, and — there leaps the Bass again ! — and again ! Then again the singing of the reel as he dives to the depths of the pool. Ah ! listen to the allegro of the mocking-bird atop of yonder beech, as he begins his sunset sonata — the click of my reel a castinet accompaniment — and now, while slowly reeling in the line, the andante of the glorious songster is poured out on the quivering air — and then the trio — the bird and Bass and I — and last of all the finale, as I drop the butt of the rod and the reel into my coat pocket, and hug my vertical rod, while lifting out the spent warrior in green and silver sheen, and quickly dispatching him, toss him among the ferns at the foot of the hickory, to the great displeasure of my squirrel, who scolds arid scampers away with the nut in his cheek. Then, filling my pipe, the blue smoke ascends in curling wreaths and is borne away up the face of the cliff on the soft evening air, while the tinkle of a cow-bell and the hoot of an owl comes from the direction of the old bridge. FLY-FISHING. 179 But the sun is on the edge of the horizon, the fall is bathed in flame, the mill-wheel is hung with rubies, the be- lated crows caw loudly, and the " professor " and the " polka " are dancing on saffron and crimson foam to the strident strains of the cicada's fiddle. What, another rise ? Another Bass, perhaps ! No, it must have been a swallow dipping its wing. The gentle swish of the supple rod is music sweet as the " professor " and the " polka " follow each other, now in aerial flight, now along the shining water. Egad ! there' s no mistaking that tug ! The reel and the cicada now have it ! The line hisses through the water ! Look out for the sharp rock ! See that blundering bat ! Ah, what a leap ! — how he dashed the golden, crimson rain ! Again the duet — the shrill cicada and the buzzing reel ! He breaks again, again falls back ! The rod is bending, surging through the air — and now the frogs pipe up — the sun is down — and, bless me ! here 's another Bass ! I step ashore, and string them on a willow wand. The mill-wheel has stopped; the water tumbles over the fall with a lonesome sound. The whippoorwill is calling from the cliff. The squirrel is in his nest. The mocking-bird has found his mate. The cows are lowing at the farmer's gate. My patient nag is neighing for her master. "All right, Jenny ! " I do not feel so guilty in the gloaming ; and as 'the first silent star appears, I stop at the little tumble down gate before the cabin of u Old Dave," who " cot de rheurnatiz in de fresh' las' spring." "Hello ! Aunt Judy. How 's Uncle Dave ? " " Howdy, Doctah ! Lor' bress you, honey, de ole man 's initey po'ley — jist kin hobble roun', an' dat's all. He 180 SUPPLEMENT TO THE BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. 'lowed to 'gin cuttin' 'bacca fer Mars' Brack ncx? week — but 'less he men's mitey fas' he won't cut more ?n a 'bacca wum kin chaw! Don't tink he's long fer ole Kaintuck, no how !" " Come here, Aunt Judy ; here's two nice Bass for you — they '11 go nearly two pounds apiece. A gentleman fishing down at the river gave them to me as I came along. They '11 make a fine breakfast for you and Uncle Dave in the morning. Good night ! " And Jenny and I jogged along toward home, under the bright stars, at peace with all the world. CHAPTER XXII. CASTING THE MINNOW. THE capabilities of the minnow-casting rod are equal to most of the possibilities of bait-fishing, as it has been my good fortune to prove on many occasions. To the unversed in the real art of angling it is simply wonderful to see what an amount of strain the little rod will successfully endure, and to witness the comparative ease with which exception- ably large fish are killed by one who knows the latent virtues of this little giant of a rod. Long ago, before every island boasted a summer cottage and a steam-launch, and when the Black Bass, or raasca- longe, were to be found in almost every rock-bound, lily- fringed cove, the Thousand Islands of the St. Lawrence possessed attractions for the lover of the beautiful and the angler that is hard to realize at the present day. Such a time I remember well ; and one day of that hal- cyon period is marked on the calendar of memory by a pure white stone that sometimes, when the fit of retrospection is on, shines out vividly in the " hollow down by the flare " in the bright coal fire in the grate, or in the log fire in camp. It was below Grenadier Island, in the shallower portion of the river, along the edges of the rushes, deer tongue and water-lilies, that a dear friend (poor Dick ! he is dead now) and I were casting the minnow for Black Bass. On that lovelv July morning I killed, on an ash and lancewood, (181) 182 SUPPLEMENT TO THE BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. eight-ounce rod, a mascalonge weighing thirty-two pounds, ip twenty minutes. But, it is under the palms and live-oaks of Southern Florida that the angler is more likely to encounter finny giants that will test the strength and endurance of his tackle, and exercise to the full his stock of piscatorial skill and finesse. A few days after Christmas, in the winter of 1881, my wife and I were fishing in San Sebastian river (opposite Kane's cabin), a half mile above its confluence with Indian river. We had been up one of the branches of the river fishing for Black Bass, and I was using an eight-ounce, ash and lancewood Henshall rod, and ordinary Black Bass tackle. On this occasion, and with this rod and tackle, I killed a redfish, or channel Bass, in twenty minutes, that weighed fully thirty-five pounds, though, as I did not weigh it, 1 called it thirty. It was a heavier and gamer fish than the mascalonge alluded to above ; and, as I have weighed a good many redfish running from twenty to forty pounds, I can certainly guess within five pounds of the weight of one within these limits. I was casting the minnow for Black Bass, on another oc- casion, up the St. Lucie river, in Southern Florida, and with the same rod and tackle just mentioned I hooked, killed and landed a tarpon of thirty-three pounds, in fifteen minutes I have, with the same, or similar rods and tackle, killed many pike, mascalonge, tarpon, groupers, salt-water trout, etc., between ten and twenty pounds, but merely mention the above instances to prove the power of the minnow- casting Black Bass rod of eight ounces in weight and eight CASTING THE MINNOW. 18u and a quarter feet in length, and this must be my excuse for alluding to them here. The introduction of this rod has noMoubt done more than any thing else to popularize this style of fishing, and we may now consider minnow-casting as not only firmly es- tablished, but as an original and American method of ang- ling that is peculiarly adapted to bait-fishing in our varied and extensive waters. As an instance of its popularity I might add that, during the past five years, I have seen it employed in the waters tributary to the Red river of the North, in the Northern Peninsula of Michigan and Wisconsin, in nearly all the Provinces of Canada, and in Florida, and in many waters between. I have also seen it in numerous instances made to apply as well to estuary or coast fishing. While minnow-casting for Black Bass is the most popu- lar method in vogue in the West, it is very gratifying to me to see the favor with which it has been received in the Eastern States, and the remarkable progress that has been made in that best of all modes of bait-fishing; for it must be remembered that Black Bass fishing north of the Poto- mac and east of the Alleghany mountains is of compara- tively recent origin, as it has not been many years since the Black Bass was introduced into eastern waters. As a member of the Committee of Arrangements of the tournaments of the National Rod and Reel Association, I succeeded in having a special contest for " casting the minnow for Black Bass " admitted in the programme of events at the tournament of 1884, when the longest cast, with a half-ounce sinker, was made by Professor Alfred M. Mayer, the same being 97 feet. At the subsequent tournaments the casting continually 184 SUPPLEMENT TO THE BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. improved, until at the last one, held in May, 1888, there were three gentlemen who cast upward of fifty yards ; and out of five casts made by Mr. A. F. Dresel, the successful competitor, three of them went beyond fifty yards, and one reached the extraordinary distance of 168 feet, 4 inches. The weight of sinker cast was one-half, ounce. The rods used were about eight and a quarter feet long, and about nine ounces in weight. CHAPTER XXIII. STILL-FISHING. WHAT angler's heart does not leap when he thinks of his boyish experiences in angling ! We were all " still-fishers " then. The boy who began fishing on a small trout stream, though, would not tarry long in one spot ; he soon learned that he must be a roving fisherman to fill his string. But the boy who began on " sunnies," or red-eyes, or " brim," or gudgeons, or even bull-heads or suckers, im- bibed his first lessons in the virtue of patience during his pin-feather days of angling. What finished, artistic fly-fisher but would gladly hark back to those golden days ! What a monument of patience he was, and what a fatalist as to luck, and what a firm be- liever in the secret, unwritten mysteries of* the art, as he sat motionless on a rock, or perched upon a gnarled root, or lay prone upon a grassy bank, watching his float with all the eagerness and expectancy of a kingfisher on his dead branch, or an osprey on his cliff! And how well he knew every " hole," and every sub- merged rock, and every snag; and just "how deep" to place his float, and just how long to let it run before " yanking " the fish or his hook into the limb overhead, or into the bush behind him ! And how well he knew every muskrat's run, and every kingfisher's perch, and every bank-swallow's hole ; and, though watching his " cork " never so intently, how he had 16 (185) 186 SUPPLEMENT TO THE BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. an eye for every water-snake, and turtle, and bull-frog that stirred within ten rods of him ! And when an unlucky muskrat, or kingfisher, or snake, or turtle, or frog showed itself, how he would lay a rock on the butt of his "pole," and start in quest of it; and how these mammalian forays, and ornithic sallies, and reptilian assaults would rest him ; and with what renewed zest he would repair to his fishing, and with what consummate and enduring faith he would spit on his hook, and resume his waiting and watching ! Oh ! bright, sunny, golden days of youth ! How far- how very far we have traveled down the stream since then ! We may look back, and through the gaps in the trees, and over the low hills catch a sparkle of the stream behind and above us ; but, alas ! we can never go back — never return ! Our course is ever on, on — and down, down — and the stream is ever widening and growing deeper, until it will soon be lost in the great gulf of the unknown ! I have much sympathy, and great respect, if not down- right envy for the still-fisher. There is a juvenility, and a childish faith in his methods that are totally unknown, or utterly lost to the blase old hand at fly-fishing, or minnow- casting. His tastes are as simple, his expectations as great, his anticipations as easily satisfied, and his enjoyment as ample as in the pin-hook days of the best of us. He is, indeed, but a child of larger growth. His life may have been saddened with the experience of time — his hands hardened with years of toil — his heart seared with the inhumanity of man — but he still retains the innocence and freshness of his youth when seated at the waterside with the " peeled sapling " in his stiffened hands STILL FISHLNG. 187 — the voice of the stream whispering in his ears — its moist breath stealing through his grizzled locks — and its rippling smile flashing on his tired eyes ! A RETKOSPECTION. An old negro house-servant a^id a bright-eyed, flaxen- haired boy of eight summers sat side by side under a mill- dam, fishing. The old man was engaged in earnest conver- sation, to which the lad was an eager listener, save when interrupted by the pulling out of a fish or the re-baiting of a hook : " Yas, Percy Lee, it's jist wasteful 'stravagance fer yo' papa to buy sich lavish, shiny fish-poles an' silver reel con- trapshuns dat run riot wid his money. All de fish in de Elkhorn wouldn't 'gin to pay intrust on 'em. He's de beat- enes' man for 'stravagance I eber see. " De bestes' fish-pole is de strettes' an' slimmes' ellum saplin' you kin fine ; cut in de fall in de lite ob de moon, an' peeled in de shade, an' put up in de lof ' nex' to de cabin chimbly all wintah. Ah' de Bass an' chan'1-cat won't know wedder it cos' two cents or de price ob a year- lin' mule, case you yank 'em out so quick dey ain't got time to tink 'bout it." " Yes, but Uncle Enoch, papa don't like to yank 'em out so quickly." "No, honey, an' dats' wat beats me. He jis' goes a- wadin' in de water — an' he'll done cotch his deff o' rheuma- tiz one ob dese days — a-whippin' his little shiny switch, an' a-flippin' his fiddle-string line wid little teenty fedder-flies, an' de Bass cotch holt, an' ben' an' twis' de little pole, an' run off wid de line — an' Mars' Dick wind 'em up agin, an' de Bass pull out de line agin, an' jump out to see wat 188 SUPPLEMENT TO THE BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. gwine to happen nex', an' dey hav' mo' fun dan a bag full o' monkeys at de circus." " But papa says he used to fish with cane poles and min- nows, Uncle Enoch." " Yas, Percy Lee, wen^Mars' Dick was a little lam', jis5 like yo'self, he use' to sot in dis same place wid me, an' laws-o'marcy wat gorms o' Bass, an' new-lites', an' chan'l cats we use' to snek out ! But aft-a-wile he growed up an' den he marri'd Mis' Alice, an' dat quiled his fishin'. "An' den de wah cum on, an' yo' papa went away to fite wid de sogers, when yo' was a teenty little baby ; an' Mis' Alice use' to cum heah a-fishin' wid me, an' Liza Jane wud brung de baby. But Mis' Alice nebber cud larn to fish; she jis' kep' me a tellin' how yo' papa use' to fish when he was a little boy, an' wat he wud say, an' wat he wud do ; an' she'd des go an' sot on dat ole sycamo' root — whar you set- tin' now — whar he use' to fish ; an' de big tear-drops wud roll down her pink cheeks ebery time I cotch'd a fish, an' she wud run an' grab de baby — dat was you — an' hug you up, an' kiss you, and den want me to begin all ober agin. You see, honey, she was so chicken-hearted she cudn't bar to see de red-eyes an' new-lites a-floppin' on de hook. An' no matter how offen I 'splained to her how Mars' Dick use' to ketch 'em, an' how I kech 'em, she des was too tender- minded to larn. " Den yo' papa cum home aftah de wah, an' brung a lot o' highfalutin noshuns wid him. An' de nex' summah a Yankee Kurnel from 'way up Norf cum a-visitin' an' he showed Mars' Dick how to fish wid switch poles an' fedder- flies. "An' now Mars' Dick drags Mis' Alice wid him, an' she goes trapesin 'long de sho' wid de baskit — an' she'll ketch STILL FISHING. 189 her deff o* dampness sum day, you heah me — an' she watches him sling dem fedder-flies, an' claps her han's an' laffs, an' sez : ' Good boy ; bravo, Dick !' "An' wen de Bass is tucker'd out Mars' Dick shuv a little roun' net under him, an' raps him on de hed, an' totes him ashore ; an' den him an' Mis' Alice sot dar an' look at it, an' yo' papa smokes his pipe, an' he tell Mis' Alice 'bout de fish jis' like I use' to talk to him when he was a little lam' like yo' ownself ; an' dey spoon jis' as foolish as To' dey was marri'd. "An' Mis' Alice she meks de fedder flies fer Mars' Dick, now — she nebber did cotton to wums, an' craw-fish, an' crawl-debbils — an' she nebber cries now when de Bass snaps 'em. But, honey, he can't fool de chan'1-cat wid 'em ; no, my young marstah, Mistah chan'1-cat is too wise in dis generation ob vipers fer dat. He wants a fat soft craw, or a piece of fresh libber. Gib him vict'ry or gib him deff. " Cum, honey, we dun got a good mess o' pan-fish, less be gwine home ; Mistah Crow dun, lite out fo' his roost long time ago." CHAPTER XXIY. TROLLING. THREE or four years ago I was attracted to Gogebic lake and Eagle waters in Northern Wisconsin to investigate the so-called " razor-back " Black Bass of Gogebic, and the mascalonge of Eagle waters. I found the former to be only small-mouthed Bass infected with tape worm, and the latter to be a true mascalonge. At that time Gogebic lake was somewhat famous on ac- count of its great numbers of Black Bass, and the ease with which they could be caught. While there I witnessed scenes and heard of acts (that may serve to point a moral) that should bring the blush of shame to the cheek of the most hardened ; and yet they were perpetrated by men calling themselves anglers, or at least fishermen, for there is a dif- ference in degree as well as in kind of those claiming alle- giance to the " gentle " art. On the first evening of my arrival I saw two large piles of Black Bass, enough to fill several barrels, burnt by the guides at the edge of the lake. Nine-tenths of them were caught with the hand-line and trolling-spoon by anglers — Heaven, save the mark ! — who were fishing for count, or vying with each other as to who should bring in the greatest number. It is no excuse to say that the Bass were there to be caught,- or that the parties knew no better. They would have resented warmly any imputation that they were other (190) TROLLING. 191 than humane, conscientious sportsmen. I will give a scrap of conversation that I overheard on the hotel veranda that evening; the reader can then judge for himself and draw his own conclusions. "Well, old man, what luck to-day? " "Bully ! I took in out of the wet a hundred and twenty- five Bass, and would have had more but I lost all of my spoons. Then I went ashore and shot three or four ' por- kies ' with my pistol ! " Now here was a bloody-minded butcher who was not con- tent, with the help of his boatmen, with slaughtering over a hundred Bass with the spoon, but who had the effrontery and insolence to brag of it before gentlemen ; and to cap the climax of his truculence he boasted of shooting several innocent porcupines, a harmless, clumsy animal that can not get out of one's way, and whose only means of defense is to hump up its back and erect its quills ; an animal that a sportsman never thinks of molesting. " Pshaw ! " chimed in a young man, who with several companions had been camping down the lake for a week, " we shot nearly fifty in a week near our camp ; they gnawed the axe-handle and chewed up a pair or two of boots, and we started in to clean .'em out ! " And these young men had probably time and again re- sponded to the commandment, " Thou shalt not kill," with " Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law." Now, I do not pose as a saint, or a Christian, or as an example, or as being any better than my fellows, for I am not — but I do hold that the wanton killing of the meanest creature is murder. At the same time, I can kill any ani- mal— mammal, bird or fish — with clean hands and with a 192 SUPPLEMENT TO THE BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. clear conscience, when done in a sportsmanlike manner, and when I can utilize the same. I assure the reader that the scrap of conversation given above is a mild sample of what I actually heard that even- ing. Some boasted of killing even more Bass than the in- dividual mentioned, but I believe they added lying to their other accomplishments. Then there were grouse and deer killed out of season — does still in milk, and grouse-hens with half-grown broods — but enough ; these men were what they seemed, mere pre- tenders to the name of angler or sportsman, such as one is apt to meet at any summer hotel where there is fishing or shooting; men who under the guise of innocent sport in- dulge their thirst for blood and murder;. men who are set and confirmed in their ways, and for whom there is no hope of improvement or reform. But there are a few new hands who do these things thoughtlessly, and by the force of bad example ; and it is for their benefit that I have written what .might otherwise be deemed out of place, here. CHAPTER XXV. SKITTERING AND BOBBING. ONCE, when in Florida, two of us had gone several miles up a river one day for deer and turkeys. When the sun was nearly down we had one deer, and had located several more, and also had found a turkey-roost near by. We con- cluded, instead of returning down the river to camp, to build a fire and sleep under a tree, so as to be on the ground at daylight in the morning, with the strong probability of another deer or several turkeys. We did not wish to cut into the venison, as we intended to give it to a " cracker" family near our camp, the head of said household being down with " the shakes." We had only the liver of the deer for supper, and wishing to vary it with some other viand, concluded to try for a Black Bass in the river. Happening to have a fish-hook in my pocket, I cut off a piece of the deer's tail, and made a " bob." Then, cutting a long, slender pole, and tying the bob to the end with a piece of strong twine some three feet long, we got into the boat, my comrade paddling and I manipulating the bob. The sun was at the edge of the horizon, a huge ball of crimson fire, the atmosphere being somewhat smoky from fires kindled by the Indians to burn off the old grass in order to make a fresh " burn " for the deer to feed on. The river expanded just above into quite a shallow lake, well grown with lily-pads, bonnets and saw-grass, through 17 (193) 194 SUPPLEMENT TO THE BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. which meandered several channels of open water. As we approached the lake, toward the sun, it seemed that these channels were filled with liquid fire, and the occasional leaping of a mullet, or dropping in of a small alligator, served to heighten this effect, and to simulate sparks and flames. The pure white wings of the egret, as it flitted over the water, seemed like miniature sails on a rubescent sea. As my companion noiselessly paddled the boat along the fringe of rank grasses and luxuriant aquatic vegetation, I danced the bob along and over the water, now low, now high and now dipping in the water — skimming, leaping and fly- ing— till it seemed an uncanny thing, as indeed it was, a cervine ignis-fatuus, a hirsute will-o'-the-wisp. Several Bass rose to it, and swirled at it, until one more active than the rest grabbed it by a vicious lunge, and the hook was firmly implanted in his jaw. It was the work of but a minute to land him in the boat, and he was soon joined by another, when we repaired to our camp-fire which was now throwing a cheerful, ruddy light on the pines and pal- mettoes. This was one of the occasions when the " bob," or the skittering-spoon, or the trolling-spoon may be legitimately used ; for we not only took great pleasure in the novelty of the sport, but we enjoyed a rich repast that night after roasting the Bass in their scales in the hot ashes, broiling the deer's liver on a split stick, grilling a few crackers of hard-tack, and making a cup of hot, strong coffee — leaving enough for a cold breakfast at daylight in the morning. CHAPTER XXVI. CONCLUDING REMARKS. IF this book should be the means of making a single day happier in the life of any angler, or of making some crooked things straight to the young hand, or of saving the life of one Bass that might have been otherwise killed by illegitimate means or sacrificed to unworthy motives, I shall be glad that it is written ; for these considerations alone, and not for any personal profit or aggrandizement has it been penned. And though there have been rods, and reels, and lines, and other articles of tackle named for me by enthusiastic friends and admirers, the honor itself has been my only recompense, for I assure the reader that I have never re- ceived, and would scorn to accept, any pecuniary fee or re- ward for any thing devised by myself, or made prominent by my efforts, for Black Bass fishing. My sole aim and intention has been to elevate the Black Bass as a game-fish, and to provide suitable tackle for its pursuit and capture, and to inculcate a more healthful and humane and gentlemanly spirit among anglers. If I have succeeded, in the slightest degree, my work has proved, as Walton said of angling, " like virtue, a reward to itself." It is with a saddened heart, and an unwilling pen, that I now finish the concluding chapter of this supplement, for I feel that it is the last that will ever be added to this book. (195) 196 SUPPLEMENT TO THE BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. There is not much likelihood of there being any occasion for adding any thing more to its pages during my life, and it is not at all likely that any one will ever add any thing to it after I am gone. I feel like one who is making his last cast, on a favorite pool that he will see no more forever. A pool that is en- deared to him by the fondest associations. A pool whose every ripple is a smile — whose every changing mood is a look of gladness and delight — and whose steadily flowing current seems to beckon him to follow to " The undiscovered country, from whose bourn No traveler returns." THE END. INDEX -TO- SCIENTIFIC HISTORY OF THE BLACK BASS. American Fishes in Linnsean Col- lection, 12. Arkansas, Black Bass of, 29. Bean, T. H., 12. Black Bass, Lin ne's specimens, 13. Black Bass of Arkansas, 29. Black Bass of Florida, 24, 29. Black Bass of Illinois, 24, 27. Black Bass of Mexico, 25. Black Bass of Mississippi, '24, 26. Black Bass of Texas, 24, 27, 29. Black Bass, Scientific History, 11. Black Bass, Type specimens, 13 Bosc, M., 11. Calliurus, 16. Cope, Edw. D., 29. Florida, Black Bass of, 24, 29. Garden, Alexander, 11, 12. Garden's specimens, 11. General and special features, 29. Generic characterizations, 15. Grystes Gunther, 15. Huro Gtinther, 15. Micropterus Cope, 16. Micropterus Gill, 17. Micropterus Jordan, 16. Genus Micropterus, 15. Geographical variation, 29. Grystes, 15. Grystes salmoides, 22. Grystes salmonides, 15. Huro, 15. Huro nigricans, 16. Illinois, Black Bass of, 24, 27. Jordan, D. S., 14, 20. Labraces, 16. Labrus, 13. Lacepede, 11, 12. Lacepede's type specimens, 13. Le Sueur's specimens, 14. Linnaeus, 11, 12. Linne's specimens, 13. Longworth, N., 14. Mexico, Black Bass of, 25. Micropterus, 15, 16, 17. Micropterus dolomiei, 18, 20, 21. Micropterus dolomieu, 11, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19,20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28. Micropterus dolomieu, Lac., syn. onomy of, 17. Micropterus floridanus, 24. Micropterus nigricans, 19, 24. (197) 198 INDEX TO SCIENTIFIC HISTORY. Micropterus pallidus, 24, 25. Micropterus salmoides (Lac.) Gill, 17, 19,24. Micropterus salmoides (Lac.) Henshall, 11, 19, 22, 23, 25, :tf, 27. Micropterus salmoides (Lac.) Henshall, synonomy of, 22. Micropterus salmonides, 24. Micropterus, synonomy of, 15. Milbert's specimens, 13. Mioplosus, 16. Mississippi, Black Bass of, 24, 26. Morphology, 15. Murie, Wm., 12. Nomenclature, 15. Oswego Bass, 21. Scientific History of Black Bass, 11. Special features, 29. Specific descriptions of M. dolo- mieu, Lac. Micropterus dolomiei Bean, 20. Micropterus dolomiei Forbes, 20. Micropterus dolomiei Goode, 20,21. Micropterus dolomieu Gill, 21. Micropterus dolomieu Jordan, 20, 22. Micropterus dolomieu Jordan & Ever- mann, 21. Micropterus 'dolomieu Jordan & Gil- bert, 19. Micropterus dolomieu Mather, 21 Micropterus salmoides Cope, 19. Micropterus salmoides Nelson, 19. Specific descriptions of M. salmoi- des(Lac.) Henshall, 24. Micropterus floridanus Cope, 24. Micropterus nigricans Nelson, 24. Micropterus pallidus Cope, 25. Micropterus pallidus Hay, 24. Micropterus salmoides Bean, 26. Micropterus salmoides Forbes, 27. Micropterus salmoides Gill, 27. Micropterus salmoides Goode, 26. Micropterus salmoides Hay, 26. Micropterus nalmoides Jordan, 26, 27. Micropterus salmoides Jordan & Ever- mann, 27. , Micropterus salmoides Jordan