88 The Amertcan Angler 
may be taken at any time from April 1 to 
about May to, and the best fishing may occur 
at any time from April 1, to say, May 1o. It 
has been my experience that the fish take the 
fly most eagerly after they have arrived from 
the salt water, and it seems to make little or 
no difference whether the water in the river is 
high or low, if itis only clear enough so that 
they can see the fly for some distance. But 
the time that will, on the average, give the best 
fishing, is during the month of May. If you 
are not obliged to go at any particular date, 
and can select your own time, the best thing 
to do would be to hold yourself in readiness 
to go on short notice. Correspond with some 
one at Bangor, have him wire you just as soon 
as they begin to get good fishing, then start 
and get there as quickly as possible, for the 
good fishing spells do not usually last much 
longer than a week at a time, and no one 
seems to be able to predict just when good 
sport will be had. A spring freshet usually 
occurs, which spoils the fishing for from ten 
days totwo weeks. It may come on any time, 
but usually from the middle of April to the 
middle of May; it is caused by the snow melt- 
ing up the river. I have a number of times got 
caught inthis freshet, went home and returned 
when the water began to clear up, which is 
always a time to expect good sport. 
‘‘In regard to flies—have plenty of Jack 
Scotts and silver doctors from 1.0 up to 6.0, 
and some with double hooks. ‘These are all 
you will require for early fishing on the Pe- 
nobscot, but if you intend to be there in June, 
after the water gets to be low and clear, in 
addition to the flies named a few sombre 
colored and smaller flies would be in order. 
‘«The water of the Penobscot river is open 
to all, but the Penobscot Salmon Club (so called) 
have erected a fine large club house, and have 
secured a lease of the shore on the Brewer 
side of the river, which usually gives the best 
fishing. By paying ten dollars any one can 
become a member for the season, and is en- 
titled to the use of the club house and the 
shores for landing his fish and all other privi- 
leges. This is a very reasonable charge for 
salmon fishing, but there are a number who 
fish for the market and pay nothing. This is 
Uncle Sam's fishing, and when you go there 
you will find it very democratic. 
have fished in Canada, or elsewhere on leased 
water, do not, as a rule, like to spend much 
time there, and seldom putin an appearance 
Those who. 
a second time, on account of the great number 
that fish the water, and the crowd is always 
greater when the fishingis good. But, despite 
all this, if one spends time enough on the 
river to get somewhat acquainted with the 
‘‘lie spots,”’ that are good at certain stages of 
the tide, and at different pitches of water, and 
watches his opportunity, and makes good use 
of it, he may occasionally secure a little piece 
of good fishing and get considerable sport. 
‘“You can secure good board at any of the 
Bangor hotels. The Bangor House and the 
Penobscot Exchange are the principal ones; 
they are about one mile from the fishing 
grounds. If you would prefer to secure board 
in a private family, close by the river, I would 
recommend you to correspond with Edward R. 
Neally, Brewer, or Mrs. Green, Rose Place, 
Bangor. Ihave poarded with both at different 
times, and was quite satisfied with the accom- 
modations.” 
A Killing Bass Fly. 
Mr. Malcolm Shipley, of the firm of A. B. 
Shipley & Son, fishing tackle dealers, of 
Philadelphia, sends us a killing bass fly, cer- 
tainly so on the Delaware and Schuylkill 
rivers. From the latter water testimony comes 
from all along its banks of the unusual quali- 
ties of this fly, the name of which we have 
forgotten, and its dressing we cannot give be- 
cause this hurried notice is written at Marco, 
Florida, ninety miles eastward from Key 
West, but we have before us a letter from Mr. 
D. Sharp, of Phoenixville, Pa., on the Schuyl- 
kill river, addressed to the Messrs. Shipley, 
which bears evidence of the peculiarly good 
qualities of this seductive aggregation of 
feathers. We give Mr. Sharp’s letter in full: 
‘‘Tt gives me great pleasure to write you 
about the flies you gave me. I promised to 
give them a fair trial, which I did, and cannot 
speak well enough of them. I have taken this 
season forty-one black bass, and thirty-eight 
of them were killed on your patent fly. I gave 
over one hundred and fifty of our citizens, on 
Thursday last, an exhibition of fly fishing; it 
was after 5:30P. M. I took my rod to French 
Creek dam, which is only fifty feet from our 
main street bridge. I was using two of my 
own flies, but could not get arise, when I re- 
membered yours and put one on, and at the 
first cast took a 2th bass in the deep pool just 
below the bridge. I kept on casting, and in 
