FISHES OF THE WEST. 313 



neither difficult nor unpleasant. Sometimes you are so far out that to 

 tow ashore, and land every fish, although giving good sport, would 

 consume too much time. In this case I tie the cord somewhere 

 to my body, string my fish on this as I catch them, and stand my 

 ground so long as a fish is to be taken. In this way one will clear 

 the whole school. Only once did I succeed in securing three at 

 one cast ; these weighed ten and three-quarter pounds. Many 

 times I have taken two at one time, and if the fish are plenty and 

 feeding well, this can be done in almost every case by playing well 

 the first one hooked until another bites. When the second is on I 

 try to prevent another from striking the third fly. Three black 

 bass are too much for light tackle, and something will be sure to 

 give way." 



For trolling, the necessary tackle consists of a strong hand line 

 of linen or cotton, and from twenty-five to seventy-five yards long; 

 a medium sized swivel, and a spoon hook, or one of the multitu- 

 dinous array of spinning baits, trolling spoons, propellers, etc., 

 with the usual accompaniments of red and white feathers and 

 group of hooks so extensively advertised throughout the land. 

 The ordinary, original tin or brass spoon, with single hook soldered 

 on with a swivel, will be found to be equal to if not better than any 

 of the later inventions ; the single hook is certainly far superior to 

 the group of two or three hooks usually found on the so-called im- 

 proved trolling baits. Early in the season, before the weeds are 

 fully grown, this style of fishing is very successful. The method 

 is equally as simple. The angler sits in the stern of the boat, and 

 while the oarsman propels the boat along and over the feeding 

 grounds, the angler lets out forty or fifty yards of line, and the 

 spoon, revolving gracefully beneath the surface of the water, proves 

 an effective lure. The angler now has nothing to do but to hold 

 the line and wait, Micawber-like, for something to turn up, when 

 finally a bass " hooks himself." He is hauled in, hand over hand, 

 and the deluded victim deposited in the bottom of the boat, and so on 

 admfimtwn. Small spoons are the best in the absence of a spoon 

 hook ; the floor of the mouth of the pickerel cut into the semblance 

 of a fish, is tough, white, and glistening, and is a capital bait ; a 

 similar bait cut from the belly of the dogfish also answers a, good 

 purpose. 



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