402 BLACK BASS FISHING. 



River they are likewise very abundant, and rise in it very freely 

 to any gaudy fly. A friend of my own has killed many of this 

 fine Bass with a large red hackle, with a gold tinsel body, and 

 also with a green-tailed grannam. The best fly, however, is 

 decidedly one manufactured by Conroy, after the colours of 

 that described in the above quotation, with a scarlet chenil 

 body, under wings of the red ibis, and upper wings of silver 

 pheasant ; this will be found unfailing. 



A singular fact, which obviously, though oddly enough, 

 escaped the observation of my friend at Buff'alo, is that at the 

 first appearance of the Black Bass at the mouth of the Niagara, 

 say in the latter part of May, the fish all lie around a reef on 

 the Fort Niagara on the American side of the river, not one 

 being ever, at that period, taken on the Canadian reef opposite. 

 After about six weeks' residence, however, they change sides, 

 and cross over, deserting the American shore altogether, and 

 being taken only on the Canadian side. 



The New York shiner is there esteemed the best bait, and 

 with it, in last May, an officer and three men in H.M. service, 

 caught in a few hours enough of these fish to load two strong 

 men to their heart's content. 



The small Rock Bass of the lakes is taken off the wharfs and 

 docks on all the same waters, from Kingston to Lake Superior, 

 with the minnow or small shiner, though rarely with the fly. 

 It is a good fish, but rarely exceeds a pound in weight. 



From the same writer I here quote a few lines concerning the 

 Lake Sheep's-head {Corvina Oscula), to which I have alluded 

 before, but which must not be confounded with the Malashe- 

 ganay, or the Black Sheep's-head {Corvina Richardsoni), a con- 



