282 Fish Stories 



The bass desires no greater favor than such a catastrophe, 

 and as it feels the firm resistance it plunges off to liberty, 

 bearing off yards of streaming line as a reminder of the 

 experience — a, silken decoration telling of its valor. 



But our bass has not escaped ; it is slowly coming in ; now 

 essaying a final leap, then is passed forward to the boatman, 

 who at the right moment slides the net beneath the fish and 

 lifts it in. Here is game indeed. Even the boatman ex- 

 presses surprise and admiration, and when he weighs the 

 fish and pronounces it a five-pounder, all the amenities are 

 observed. 



There is a singular unanimity of opinion among anglers 

 regarding the black bass. The one who has distinguished 

 himself with tarpon or tuna, the " high hook " of the salmon 

 fly anglers, the enthusiast over ten-pounders — all, or nearly 

 all, after dilating upon the famous game fishes they have 

 caught, will in confidence tell you that the small-mouth 

 bass, after all, is the delight-giver of greatest excellence; 

 at least I have heard the confession from many anglers of 

 high degree, and have arrived at the same conclusion after 

 having caught nearly every game fish that swims, running 

 the gauntlet from striped-bass to tuna and from tarpon to 

 trout, and this is not to the disparagement of other fishes, 

 all of which have their peculiarities. 



For nearly twenty minutes the bass has played us, and 

 now packed away in the drawer, we row on down the river. 

 Near this point that stands out so boldly and rises from 

 deep water, I once came upon a colossal bass. There were 

 perhaps six swimming around slowly in a circle, so near 

 the surface that their tall, erect dorsals extended above it 

 and cut the water as they moved along. My companion 

 cast into the school and one by one took four, weighing five 

 and a half, four, three and a half, and three pounds, in suc- 

 cession, each fish playing fifteen or twenty minutes and 

 affording splendid sport. Around this point the reel gives 

 tongue, and one rod lands a large yellow perch, while the 



