42 Bass, Pike, and Perch 



of half an hour; he weighed three pounds and 

 three-quarters, and was thoroughly game." And 

 again, " That evening was again devoted to the 

 black-bass, which took both the fly and spoon 

 greedily." 



During the period covered by the authors 

 named, from 1849 to 1869, the anglers of the 

 South and Middle West were using light cane 

 rods, Kentucky reels, and the smallest sea-grass 

 lines for bait-fishing, and trout fly-rods and trout- 

 tackle for fly-fishing, rods and tackle as light, to 

 say the least, as those in use to-day. 



In 1866 I removed to Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, 

 where there were thirty lakes within ten miles 

 abounding in black-bass of both species, with 

 pike, rock-bass, crappies, perch, etc. On my 

 home grounds was a large shallow pond fed 

 from Fowler Lake. Becoming much interested 

 in the black-bass, and finding but little informa- 

 tion available in the books of that day concerning 

 their habits, I determined to give some study 

 to the subject. Accordingly I cut a ditch from 

 the pond to the lake, with suitable screens, and 

 stocked it with black-bass of both species. Dur- 

 ing their spawning period in the summer I 

 watched them faithfully and constantly from a 



