134 Sporting Sketches 



snag or shelter of any sort, but twenty feet below 

 an old tree lies on the bottom. Above that again 

 is a small bed of weeds. At first glance it is no 

 good, but there used to be a brickyard above, and 

 the stumps of two piles broken off below water yet 

 remain. About these is a lot of broken brick, all 

 unseen, and it is a good place. And so it goes from 

 point to point for fully ten miles. Almost invari- 

 ably the fish lie on that side to which the current 

 sets. The veteran knows this and changes from 

 side to side of the stream as its course changes. 

 A novice probably would select a pleasantly shaded, 

 bay-like spot on the wrong side and fish there for 

 hours, taking drum, catfish, dogfish, mullet, or sun- 

 fish, but at the most only an occasional, wandering 

 bass. The black fellows lie in the current, with 

 noses upstream, because they are strong pirates and 

 they know the running water will bring prizes their 

 way. When a bass is taken at some unlikely-looking 

 spot, that spot should be kept in mind. There prob- 

 ably is some unsuspected shelter below which even the 

 tackle may not find. In any event, a good lair for one 

 bass is apt to prove equally good for another later on. 

 But to return to the canoe. A clay cliff throws a 

 shadow upon deep water which might repay a trial. 

 The cliff is bored with rows of black holes, and a 

 cloud of sand-martins wheels on tireless wings. 

 The soft muttering of dainty throats fills the air as 

 the gentle little communists weave to and fro. The 

 rod is shipped up and a plump shiner selected. 

 The point of the hook is passed in at the mouth, 

 out behind the gill-cover, and under a strap of skin 

 behind the back fin. I use the bait 'so, because I 



