20 Bass, Pike, and Perch 



the eye, and then between the shank and snell 

 and draw tight, forming a jam knot. Where the 

 snell is tied to the fly, it should likewise have 

 a loop for attaching to the leader. It should also 

 be reinforced by a piece of gut an inch long at 

 the head of the fly to strengthen it and prevent 

 chafing. Snells, whether separate or tied to flies, 

 should be carried like leaders between layers of 

 damp felt. 



Most flies made for black-bass fishing are too 

 large. The largest trout flies tied on hooks Nos. 

 4 to 6 are big enough. As just mentioned, they 

 are tied directly to the snell on tapered hooks, 

 or made with a small gut loop at the head of the 

 fly, which is much the best way. Since the intro- 

 duction of the eyed hook, or rather a revival of 

 it, for trout flies, they are now utilized for bass 

 flies also. As between the Pennell hook with 

 turned-down eye and the Hall hook with turned- 

 up eye, there is not much choice. Both patterns 

 are based on the old Limerick hook. I prefer 

 the Sproat or O'Shaughnessy to either, with gut 

 loop at the head of the fly. 



If the black-bass is not color-blind, he seems to 

 have a penchant for brown, gray, black, and yel- 

 low, as flies embodying these colors seem to be 



