BLACK BASS. 377 



Parnaby, of Borrowdale, afterwards, have been a failure, for 

 they are unquestionably as fine a fish for angling purposes 

 as any we possess, and as an article of food are equal to 

 our best. 



On the Wabash I have had some magnificent black-bass 

 fishing. About one mile and a half above the town of 

 Vincennes, in Indiana, a small rivulet enters it, and when 

 floods occur in the parent stream the back water in the 

 tributary invariably swarms with black bass, pike, and 

 cat-fish, as long as the water is on the increase, and so 

 ravenous would these different species be, that as quick as 

 you could supply your hook with bait, so rapidly would 

 t,li j fisherman catch them; but the instant the volume of 

 water commenced to abate, all would cease to feed, and the 

 disciple of Izaak Walton would go unrewarded. All the 

 tributary streams of the Ohio and Upper Mississippi are 

 well stocked with black bass, but there are few places where 

 I have enjoyed better sport than at Mount Carmel, on the 

 Wabash, where they abounded in such quantities as to 

 astonish those who had never previously visited this pretty 

 retired village. I believe I was the first to use the fly for 

 the capture of black bass upon these waters, but so suc- 

 cessful was I, that in a marvellously short space of time 

 both inhabitants and visitors adopted my method ; but 

 there was no use in being jealous, for there was enough 

 sport and to spare for all. Another admirable bait for 

 this gamest of fresh-water fish is the crawfish immediately 

 after it has cast its shell ; and, as it is clean and easily 

 handled, it is much sought after, but unfortunately is very 

 difficult to procure, for at the period that it is in its most 



