STILL-FISHING. 431 



his bait quite up to the haunts of tlie Bass, above- 

 mentioned, whenever necessary. 



If his minnows are lively and strong, and carefully 

 hooked, it is advisable not to make frequent casts, but 

 rather to suffer the bait to remain, so long as it keeps 

 in motion, for a lively minnow will attract a Bass any- 

 where within thirty feet, in tolerably clear water. If 

 helgramites or crawfish are used for bait, they must be 

 kept gently moving, at times, by the rod. 



The management of hooking, playing, and landing a 

 Bass is just the same as described in the preceding chap- 

 ter, except where a reel is not used, in which case the 

 Bass should be killed on the rod, all the same, though 

 the angler must use a great deal of judgment in man- 

 aging his rod, to thoroughly enjoy the sport, which is 

 considerable where the rod is long, slender, and light. 



He should lead his fish, at once, into deep water, where 

 he must be held until tired out. He should be kept in 

 mid- water, not suffered to go to the bottom, nor encour- 

 aged to approach the surface. He should lead him to 

 and fro, to the left and right, whenever possible, for by 

 keeping the fish in constant motion it soon tires him out, 

 and subserves, to some extent, the purposes and uses of a 

 reel. 



In still-fishing a stream, the angler should stand, or sit, 

 as near the level of the Avater as possible, never fishing 

 from a bold bank or other elevation, unless well screened 

 from the observation of the fish. He should keep quiet 

 and still, when he may possibly be mistaken for a stump 

 or other inanimate object. He should leave his bait in 

 the water as long as possible, only moving it occasionally, 

 by slow, cautious and gentle mani])ulations, and in every 



