KISIIKS AND riSIIINC IX srN'AI'KK I AKK. Sf) 



])oov in ninnl)Oi"s and sizo of those caught. The fishing in 1912 was 

 iniK "h hotter, h\it far below that of former years. Others maintained 

 that the black bass was just as abundant and as tmmitigated a nuisance 

 as it over \vas. 



It is undoubtedly true that it is only occasionally that good 

 catches of sizable bass are made, and that it is, as a rale, only by 

 peisistent fishing that satisfactory strings of fish of legal size can 

 bo taken. Notwitlistanding this fact, young black bass up to a few 

 inches in length seem to be fairly common. During August and 

 October of 1910 and Jidy and August of 1911 3'oimg from 2 up to 10 

 inches in longtli were ol)sorved in considerable numl)ers in places 

 about the shores, especially at the steamboat pier at Blodgetts 

 Landmg. 



In 1911 the largest fish observed by the writer was estimated to 

 weigh 4 pounds and was one of a catch of 17 fish that perhaps woidd 

 11U1 from 2 to 3 pounds each. 



It is also stated tJiat while years ago the fly fishing for black bass 

 was unexcelled anywhere, the fish no longer can be caught on a fly, 

 due to its having resorted to the deep waters, where it subsists upon 

 smelts and other fishes occurring tliere. This idea arises from the 

 fact that smelts are occasional!}^ found in the stomachs of black bass 

 and that the fish is sometimes caught at the deep-water fishing })laces. 

 Of course, it is obviously unnecessar\^ for black bass to go into deep 

 water for an occasional smelt. In August, 1910, several instances 

 of black bass at The Hedgehog fishing ''groimds" were noted. Some 

 were seen at not a great depth below tlie surface and othei's were 

 caught there on short lines, but at no time was one known to be 

 taken at the bottom. It was c{uite evident, at least, that the sup- 

 posed deep-w^ater bass were not at the bottom, and their stomach 

 contents consisting wholly of insects, when there were any contents, 

 supported the evidence. However, the possibility of black bass occa- 

 sionally resorting to the greater depths is not disputed. 



While the cajjture of a few small black bass (about 10 inclios in 

 length) on The Reef in gill nets by tlio white-trout spawn takers gave 

 rise to suspicion tiiat this fish might inchule s})awn oathig in its 

 categoiy of harmful traits, the empty stomachs of these specimens 

 were circumstantial evidence in its favor. 



That black bass will and do eat other fishes is undoubted. Thov 

 have boon known to oat young jjorch, as has been pointed out in the 

 quotations, and the ^vTito^'s notes show that they also have oaten 

 shiners, chubs, young catfish (horn pouts), sunfish, black bass, 

 pickerel, and smelts. But at Sunapee Lake during August, 1910. 

 and July, 1911, both adult and young were found to subsist nuiinly 

 upon insects and aquatic larvae of insects. Perch are stated to have 



