Three Weeks 
into the air and violently shook his 
head to free it from the deceptive lure. 
Back into the water he came with a 
splash, that gave a better indication of 
his size than the sight of him had ren- 
dered. Then away he went like a tor- 
nado, coming to the surface once or 
twice more, trying to shake himself 
free, but without avail. Gently but 
firmly, he was now turned, and slack 
dine gathered in whenever possible. 
Every inch was fought with a pertinac- 
ity in which I think no other fish ex- 
ceeds the small-mouthed bass, and the 
-continual—chug-chug—at the end of 
the line showed his strength but little 
diminished. As soon ashe was brought 
in sight of the moving boat, he made 
another rush, and the same tactics and 
manceuvres had to be repeated over and 
over again before he submitted to be 
brought in reach of the landing net. 
At last, however, the white meshes 
surrounded him, and he lay with gasp- 
ing mouth and distended gills a noble 
trophy of the angler’s skill. 
So much time had been spent in 
landing this fellow that it was.necessary 
to head for camp and, although, on 
going back the water was thoroughly 
fished, no other bass rewarded his skill. 
My experience has been that for tak- 
ing large bass with the fly, the month 
of June is best. After June the larger 
ones seek the deep pools in which there 
is drift wood, and there concealed dur- 
ing the day are hard to raise to a lure 
so near the surface, and as smallas a 
fly. Where there are plenty of them, 
it is not difficult for the skillful fly- 
caster to catch good-sized strings run- 
ing in size from % lb. to2 1b. For the 
large fellows, use the bait-casting rod 
and a minnow, and fish the deep pools. 
Perhaps if I were not so lazy and 
would get out in the early morning 
wn Waders. 317 
with the fly I could report a different 
story, but—— 
As soon as the boys got back, their 
vigorous yells and sarcastic remarks, 
upon finding that breakfast was not 
ready, upset my usual calm and matter- 
of-fact disposition. I soon had Scis- 
sors building a fire and Drummer 
peeling potatoes, while I nervously 
bustled around on a camping stool and 
gave directions right and left, until our 
meal was ready. 
' After about an hour and a half at 
the table, I had to warn the boys that, 
with the amount of packing they had to 
do, unless they cut their meal short, 
they would miss their train, and with a 
sigh from Drummer at having to put 
up with such a hasty breakfast, and a 
suggestion that I put up a lunch that 
they could eat on the way to the depot, 
they desisted. 
A two mile row up stream landed us 
near the G. R. and I. railroad bridge, 
and we made our way down the track 
to the depot. Upon arriving we found 
that we would have forty minutes to 
await. the train. I spent the interval 
with them and most of my time in im- 
pressing upon them that they must not 
forget to sendPedals. This they faith- 
fully promised to do. Pedals is a good 
friend whom I am just initiating in the 
art and mystery of fly-casting, and he 
is a very apt pupil, indeed. 
It was with regret I saw the train 
draw away with my friends aboard, 
and to go back to the camp in its lone- 
some state was out of the question, and 
so I resolved to loaf around the village 
until the evening train came in. In 
the reception room of one of the hotels 
I met Dr. Long, who, noticing my rod 
which I was carrying, introduced him- 
self as a brother angler, and after a 
pleasant conversation offered the loan 
