THE RESOURCES OF FLY-FISHING. 271 



blotches or patches. First dorsal fin has two or three 

 rows of round black spots. First dorsal has twelve 

 spines ; second dorsal, one spine, seventeen soft rays ; 

 anal, two spines, twelve soft rays. 



Both species of pike-perch are nocturnal (the last not 

 so much so), and are very similar in their habits. 

 Usually they rise best to the fly at sundown, contin- 

 uing until late in the evening, especially on moonlight 

 nights ; therefore at least one fly in the cast should be 

 some light-colored fly, as the Coachman, White and 

 Ibis, or Miller. Sometimes, however, darker flies are 

 just as good after nightfall as during daylight. The 

 flies for pike-perch should be as large or larger than 

 bass flies, and should be tied on Sproat hooks, Nos. 1 

 to 3. 



The angler who is so unfortunately situated as to be 

 debarred from salmon, trout, or black bass fly-fishing, 

 can always find in the small streams or ponds near 

 him, one or more of the fishes described in the forego- 

 ing account, when, by the use of very light and suitable 

 tackle, he can enjoy to a great degree the delights and 

 pleasures of fly 7 fishing. 



Even the despised pike or pickerel species (Esocidce) 

 and some of the catfishes will rise to a large and gaudy 

 fly. In Florida I have taken catfish with the artificial 

 fly until my arms ached and I was fain to cry quits. I 

 have also taken many marine species with the fly, as 

 red-fish, blue-fish, sea-trout, snappers, groupers, cre- 

 valle, bone-fish, snooks, etc., etc., and once, as a matter 



