FOREST, LAKE, AND RIVER 



upon seizing the fly ; but, in order to set the hook 

 firmly, the angler should strike, not violently, but 

 by a simple turning of the wrist with the line 

 quite taut, upon feeling the slightest touch of the 

 fish, or upon seeing its swirl on the surface of the 

 water. When hooked, the fish should feel con- 

 stantly the strain of the rod, and no slack line 

 should be permitted until the fish is in the landing 

 net. When the bass breaks water, the straighten- 

 ing of the bent rod will tend to keep the line taut 

 while he is in the air, but he should be followed 

 back into the water by a slight lowering of the tip 

 to prevent the hook from tearing out with his 

 weight ; but the moment he touches the water, he 

 should again feel the spring of the rod. He 

 should be reeled into close quarters as soon as pos- 

 sible, and should not be allowed to get below the 

 surface. He should thereafter be held on the 

 bent rod, neither giving nor taking line, until he 

 turns up his side exhausted and the landing net 

 is slipped under him. 



As to artificial flies, there is a long list to choose 

 from, and the angler will eventually learn through 

 experience those that are the most successful with 

 him. As a general rule, however, there are a few 

 that seem to be more uniformly noticed by the bass 

 than others. These are the red, gray, and brown 

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