ARTIFICIAL FLIES. 299 



The most suitable sizes, for bass-flies, are Nos. 2, 3, 4 and 

 5, the last being the smallest that should be used under 

 ordinary circumstances, though, for the smallest flies, Nos. 

 6 and 7 may be employed. These numbers apply to all 

 of the hooks named above. 



Flies may be tied on a silk-worm gut-snell scyeral 

 inches in length, or may have simply a small, short gut- 

 loop. Those with loops can be used as "stretchers" or 

 tail-flies; but when used as "droppers" or bob-flies, they 

 must be attached to the leader by a half length of gut, say 

 four inches long. 



Many "trout-flies" are used, and with good eflPect in 

 Black Bass fishing, for really the form and color of the 

 fly does not seem to make much difference with the Bass; 

 he does not seem so "fastidious," as it is termed, in his 

 choice of flies. Most of the " general " trout-flies are 

 taken as patterns for bass-flies, as the Coachman, Pro- 

 fessor, Soldier, Grizzly King, Queen of the Water, King 

 of the Water, Ibis, Kingdom, Quaker, etc., and all of the 

 palmers or " hackles." 



As every angler will become partial, sooner or later, 

 to certain flies, and adopt them as favorites to the exclu- 

 sion of others, I deem it unnecessary to allude to but few, 

 except in a general way ; and those that I shall particular- 

 ize are such as I have used many times with most gratify- 

 ing results. 



I have had more uniform success, day in and day out, 

 with the black, brown, red, yellow, and gray hackles 

 (palmers), than with the winged-flies; though some of 

 the latter I have employed with excellent success for high 

 or rough waters, and those with light-colored or white 



