FISHES OF THE WEST. 319 



the right hand, with the thumb upon the coil of line upon the reel, 

 to control the running- off of the line as in striped bass fishing. 

 Now make a sweeping cast to the left or right as you desire, 

 keeping a gentle pressure upon the reel with the thumb, to prevent 

 its overrunning, and stop it suddenly by a stronger pressure as 

 the bait strikes the water. It will take some practice to regulate 

 the reel with the thumb, but with patience and perseverance any- 

 one will soon overcome all the difficulties and become an e.xpert 

 bass fisher. This casting of course is to be accomplished entirely 

 with one hand, for this is the object of the light rod and delicate 

 tackle. 



In fly fishing, flies of moderate size and subdued combinations 

 give best success ; brown hackles tied on No. 6 Limerick, and 

 brown and yellow flies tied on No. 6 or No. 10 hooks are always 

 successful lures in low, clear water ; for higher turbid water more 

 gaudy flies are good, made of scarlet or red body, brown tail 

 and wings, or with double wings, inner scarlet, outer brown, black 

 hackle, tied on No. 4 hook. A very killing fly is made with red 

 zephyr body, then first a pair of scarlet or red wings, then over 

 these a pair of light or dark drake wings. This gives a shade that 

 is obtained in no other way. Another splendid fly is made by put- 

 ting on first a pair of clear white wings, and over these a reddish 

 brown or scarlet. Green is a most desirable color in combina- 

 tions, as it is the color of the grasshopper ; indeed, red, yellow, and 

 green may probably be called the ground colors upon which pat- 

 terns are fabricated. A most excellent fly is made of brilliant 

 green silk floss, reddish brown hackle, scarlet tail, wings, under 

 coverts scarlet, over coverts yellowish grey. 



Low water affords the best season for fishing. Minnows are 

 abundant and easily obtained. 



Pike Perch ; wall-eyed pike ; Ohio salmon ; white salmon ; glass-eyed pike ; 

 western salmon. — Stizostediom amen'catium. Girard. 



This splendid fish is found in great abundance in all the tribu- 

 taries of the Ohio River, in Lakes Pepin and Huron, in Kentucky 

 and Tennessee, and indeed throughout the western waters gen- 

 erally, as far west as the Mississippi. Tons of them are taken 

 through the ice in Lake Pepin in March, just about the time they 



