FISH MEETS CANNY ANGLER 89 



Old Black Bass saw it coming, and the 

 fear that is within man for the reptile filled 

 him with nausea, for the snake is ancient 

 enemy to the fish: fish that have survived 

 have feared and fought it; those without 

 fear of it succumbed to its treachery. The 

 result is a snake-hating species. Involun- 

 tarily Old Black Bass felt the scales of his 

 cheek crawl loathsomely, yet he did not flee. 



Other bass have done what he did that 

 day 1 ; but no amount of repetition would 

 make the feat less heroic. The snake was 

 three times the length of Old Black Bass, 

 and wise and fearless with years. It slid 

 toward the nest like a silk line reeled swiftly 

 over the surface beautifully, with grace- 

 ful undulations. Two inches behind the 

 jaw the body arched, holding the head 

 triumphantly high. 



For the first time in his life Old Black 

 Bass gave ground. Not through fear, for 

 he knew it not. It was an involuntary 

 movement of loathing and repulsion, life's 

 normal shrinking from the snake since the 

 curse was placed upon it in the Garden. 



iSee rolumc on Artifit Ul Profagation of Blac k Bants, Graffiti, and Rod Bast, 

 No. 347, United States Commission of Fish and Fisheries, for a statement of black 

 bass killing snake three times its own length. 



