THE RESOURCES OF FLY-FISHING. 261 



Xess pretentious, because less known, game-fishes, whose 

 merits are perhaps as great for the fly-fisher as those fa- 

 miliar game-beauties of the waters. 



It is among the possibilities, in this world of transitory 

 things, that fly-fishing for the salmonids in the United 

 States will, in the near future, be known only by tradi- 

 tion. It should, therefore, be a source of great consola- 

 tion to the fly-fisher to know that there are now, and 

 perhaps will ever be, in the streams and lakes of this 

 broad land, percoid game-fishes equally worthy of his 

 skill, which require only to be known to be properly 

 appreciated. 



First among these is the black bass, which already 

 ranks the brook trout in the estimation of those anglers 

 who know him best : and when I say black bass. I in- 

 clude both species. The black bass is, at least, the peer 

 of the trout in game qualities, and in rising to the ar- 

 tificial fly, under proper conditions. An allusion to a 

 few of these conditions may not seem out of place. 



As a rule, the best time of day for fly-fishing for the 

 black bass is from an hour before sunset until dark, 

 though there are times when he will rise to the fly at 

 almost any hour of the day. 



It is important that the angler keep out of sight, and 

 that the shadow of his rod be not disclosed to the wary 

 and suspicious bass ; for if he sees either, he will not 

 notice the flies, however skillfully and coaxingly they 

 may be cast. Thus it is that the earlier and later hours 

 of the day are best ; the angler, facing the sun, the 



