Fishcraft 59 



authors authorities in their day - 

 had little to say regarding the fish now 

 so warm a favorite, and that mere 

 mention was usually in disparage- 

 ment of the "bronze-back knight in 

 armor." 



The color of the bass, varying little, 

 if any in the two species, is dark 

 bronze green, the shading differing 

 silghtly according to the waters 

 lighter in the crystal-clear lakes and 

 streams than in those of very dark, 

 seemingly almost inky-black appear- 

 ance. A two-pound black bass gives 

 a good fight for life and liberty, while 

 the five-pounder near the maxi- 

 mum size for the small-mouth species 

 in most of the northern waters 

 battles in proportion to additional 

 weight, demonstrating to a degree Dr. 

 Henshall's claim as to its being the 

 gamest fish that swims. 



During the season when the genu- 

 ine flies are hovering over the waters, 

 the black bass rises readily to the well- 

 cast artificial fly, and this, of course, 

 affords the angler the very acme of 

 bass fishing. Live minnows are excel- 



