GENERAL AND SPECIAL FEATURES. 37 



comes just to the surface, and gives au ugly shake like a bulldog 

 with a cat in his moutli. lie never makes bold leaps for freedom 

 uor desperate runs. The small-mouth, on the contrary, is all 

 game. The instant he strikes he goes for deep water to enjoy his 

 moi-sel in peace, but when he feels the sharp sting of the hook, 

 as though suddenly realizing his danger, he makes a grand leaf) 

 for life and freedom, frequently rising three, four, and five feet 

 clear of the water. If that fails, he rushes for deep w^ater with 

 au energy and power that thrills and delights the fly-caster. And 

 he gives up only after a desperate struggle. I have known small- 

 mouth Bass to leap clear of the water five or six times before 

 submitting to be netted. Did any large-mouth ever do as much ? 

 The small-mouth, again, fights with his mouth shut, while the 

 large-mouth comes to the net with jaws gaping like a pickerel on 

 a trolling line." 



" Rob Roy " shows himself in the above to be quite im- 

 aginative and very prejudiced. No Bass ever leaped " five 

 feet." No Bass, large or small-mouthed, ever " sulked." 

 A Bass, or any other fish, will fight Avitli its mouth open or 

 shut according to the part of the mouth it is hooked in. 

 When caught, the large-mouth " sulks near tlie bottom," 

 but the small-mouth goes to the same place to " enjoy his 

 morsel in peace." How does " Rob Roy " know this ? 



In contrast to the above note the following from " E. F.," 

 of Chicago : 



"I have fished for Bass in some of the Northern lakes, the 

 Delaware, Susquehanna, Alleghany, Potomac, Shenandoah, and 

 some smaller streams, also in Florida and other Southern States. 

 As I have never caught a large-mouth Bass in running water, I 

 can not give an opinion as to the relative gameuess of the two 

 fish. I will say one thing in favor of the large-mouth fish 

 which, to me, covers a multitude of sins, and that is, he is a 



