Fis/n)ig- for Black Bass on the Matinuc Rapids, Ohio. 



173 



man was to serve others. Harr}- was 

 satisfied that the doctor knew more 

 about fish and fishing- than any person 

 he had ever met. The more he saw of 

 him the greater became his desire to 

 make his headquarters at the doctor's 

 ideal home. From the porch could be 

 seen the rapids, the hills beyond with 

 their changing colors, the irregular 

 sycamores and more graceful elms, the 

 rich farming lands with their highly 

 cultivated fields extending to the water's 

 edge, and the sound of rippling waters 

 over rocky riffles was distinctly heard. 



The doctor was a man whose name 

 was as familiar all along the valley as 

 the old battle fields dotted along the 

 banks. He was respected by every per- 

 son in the village, and loved angling for 

 the health giving enjoyment, for the 

 privilege of communing with nature ; 

 and, while he was the most successful 

 bass fisherman in the valley, one of his 

 greatest enjoyments was to show his 

 friends the best pools and how to fish 

 them. So, instead of finding a fisher- 

 man's guide, a person who made it a 

 business of showing strangers the pools, 

 etc., for pecuniary gain, Harry found a 

 man of tenderest affections and finest 

 sense of courtesy and honor. 



The conversation ended by a satisfac- 

 tory ag-reement, and Harry was to make 

 his week's stay at the doctor's pleasant 

 home. After everything necessary to 

 Harry's comfort and convenience had 

 been arranged, it lacked several hours 

 of sunset, and the doctor, by way of 

 introduction to rapids' fishing, suggested 

 that they go to a pool below the village 

 and try their luck. The afternoon was 

 an ideal one, with just wind enough to 

 ripple the quiet pools. In a short time 

 they were on their way to the famous 

 Hanford pool, with a bucket full of the 

 choicest chub minnows. 



*' To pass the time as we walk along, 



I will tell you of a recent fishing expe- 

 rience I had at this pool," said the doc- 

 tor. '• I have an old friend in the vil- 

 lage who sticks to the old cane pole and 

 laughs at the new jointed-rod fisher- 

 man. I agreed to take him with me 

 some time when the day promised to be 

 good. This pool is justly called the 

 home of the largest black bass, and I 

 believe more fish have been taken from 

 its quiet waters than from any other 

 along the river. The fish hide under a 

 submerged shelving rock, and some- 

 times know how to stay there, too. One 

 morning the sky indicated what I call a 

 fleecy day. I sent for my friend and 

 we made straight for this pool. The 

 bass were feeding on the gravelly 

 edges. I had about seventy-five feet of 

 silk line, an eight ounce rod and a good 

 reel. I used a number O vSproat hook 

 and no sinker. At the upper end of 

 the pool every season there are large 

 bunches of reeds, tall, green, and a fine 

 feeding place for bass. My first cast 

 was above this spot, and when the 

 lively chub played along its roots, snap 

 went my line across the stream and I 

 knew I had a big fellow to watch. 

 When I gave a gentle but quick jerk 

 iny suspicions were verified and the 

 waters became greatly agitated. My 

 friend became very much excited and 

 said if he had his cane pole and heavy 

 line ' that fish would not fool long for I 

 would have that fellow over my head 

 in no time.' The bass broke water half 

 a dozen times and seemed to stand as if 

 to defy me. My rod yielded to every 

 plunge, the reel worked like a charm, 

 but my friend was nervous until satis- 

 fied the rod would hold fast. The bass 

 tried all the tricks of a rapids' fish ; 

 finally the old fellow gave up and I 

 hauled him on the rocks. ' Well, seeing 

 is believing," said my companion, 'and 

 I think vou have had more sport with 



