TACKLE RECOMMENDED FOR FLY FLSHIXC; FOR BLACK BASS. 



BV WALTER GREAVES. 



The subject of suitable tackle for the 

 purpose named in the caption, has 

 occupied my attention for a number of 

 years, and I have finally come to the 

 conclusion that the f ollovi^ing equipment 

 about meets the requirements for most 

 of the waters where black bass rise to 

 the fly :— 



LEADERS. 



Best strong gut, nine feet in length, 

 (single, of course — double or twisted 

 leaders are not, in my opinion, fit to 

 use for fly-fishing purposes) made with 

 two loops fitting into one another in such 

 a manner that they may be easily 

 pressed apart, and a piece of gut, about 

 three inches long, doubled and knotted 

 at the end to prevent slipping, inserted 

 between. I make the first of these 

 loops about twelve inches from the reel 

 line, and the second one about fifty 

 inches from the stretcher fly. 



FLIES. 



Use one to three flies, depending 

 upon circumstances. Sizeof hooks No. 

 I to No. 5. My favorite fly is the 

 " Massasoaga, " of my own design, made 

 as follows: Body, bright green ball 

 tinsel (I find it very difficult to get the 

 right shade now-a-days) ; tail scarlet 

 ibis ; hackle yellow ; wangs guinea fowl 

 with large spots, dyed bright yellows 

 This fly I and friends of mine have 

 found to be very killing, and I frequently 

 take no fish on any of the other flies 

 during a day's sport, the fish passing 

 the one or two upper flies and showing 

 a marked preference for the gaudy 

 " Massasoaga. " Try it. 



The next best fly to this one I find to 

 be Dr. Henshall's "Polka." All his 



patterns are really A No. i if properly 

 made. You can copy them from the 

 plates in " Fishing with the Fly." 



A "Parmachenee Belle " is sometimes 

 very taking. "With these few flies one 

 might go to an y good bass waters where 

 bass rise to the fly and take them readily, 

 at the proper time of day of course. 



To meet with success I have found 

 that, while the bass sometimes take 

 fairly well during the day, and early in 

 the morning, the proper time to fly fish 

 for them is about two hotirs before sun- 

 set and until dark. Where the wand is 

 blowing and the waves are high I have 

 sometimes had good sport with a 

 " vScarlet Ibis" fly, or a "Split Ibis" 

 during the day time. 



THE ROD. 



By using a rod of about ten and one- 

 half feet, and say seven ounces in 

 weight, (I use Chubb's Muredy trout 

 rod) one may have fine sport with the 

 fly, in fact, I know of nothing nicer than 

 to catch black bass, of from one and 

 one-half to about three pounds, with 

 the fly, casting either from the shore or 

 from a boat. I have noticed also that 

 it is better to let your fly sink a little 

 below the surface and draw it through 

 the water rather slowly. 



THE LINE. 



Enamelled water-proof silk line E or 

 F, say forty yards, is what I find about 

 right. Braided linen also answers the 

 purpose very well. 



Doubtless many of your readers are 

 quite as proficient in this sport as I am 

 (perhaps more so). I have, however, 

 had a great deal of it and lay claim to 

 knowing something about it. 



