250 GAME. 



live bait. In the Rio Azul of Western New Mexico, and 

 in many other pure streams where the real fish does not 

 exist, the ' trout ' is a dace. In size from a mere minnow 

 to half a pound, he is very 'game,' taking the fly as 

 greedily and well as any trout. 



in almost all the plains streams is found a fish of the 

 herring family, and most generally called the ' white fish.' 

 It has large, coarse, white scales, is very thin and flat for 

 its length and depth, is quite bony, and not very delicate 

 food. It is, however, exceedingly voracious, seizes any 

 kind of bait with tremendous vigour, and makes a most 

 interesting fight, especially as, his mouth being bony and 

 easily torn, he must be handled delicately. His maximum 

 weight is about three pounds. 



In Walnut Creek, a tributary of the Arkansas, I have 

 taken a fish which I have never seen elsewhere. I call it 

 the ' white bass.' It is almost the exact counterpart of 

 the black bass in size, shape, and manner of biting, but 

 it is pure white and has large staring eyes. 



In the purer streams of the plains is found a beautiful 

 species of cat fish, called in some parts the ' lady ' cat, 

 and in others the ' channel ' cat. Its maximum weight 

 is about three pounds. The spines on the pectoral fins 

 are unusually developed and inflict a most painful wound. 

 The body is long and tapering, covered at irregular 

 intervals with small black spots, like trout ; its head is 

 narrow, and mouth very small for a cat fish ; it has few 

 bones, and is most delicate and delicious food. The best 

 bait is a small piece of the white fish before mentioned. 

 Unlike other cats, it 'is very dilatory in its biting, nibbling a 

 long time before taking a good hold. It is very strong and 

 active, and, when hooked, makes almost as good a fight as 

 a bass or trout of equal weight. It is the trout of cat fish. 



The blue cat is also common in all the plains streams, 

 attaining sometimes a weight of fifteen to twenty-five 

 pounds. These large fish are coarse, but the smaller are 

 fine eating. No special skill is required for taking them, 



