THREE BEST NATURE LURES FOR BASS 



gling in the water all the time to get to their natural 

 habitat, the bed of the river. Once there, they bore 

 in the sand and so good-by. Therefore it is most 

 necessary that the artificial be played and kept mov- 

 ing near the bottom all the time. I have made it of 

 cork to float, hoping to induce bass to take it at the 

 surface, or at least above midwater. Otherwise it 

 must be made to sink with one or two small split 

 shot fastened on the leader as before described. 



The lamper eel has not been made to float be- 

 cause its peculiar shape and length of body would 

 make a much more expensive lure if made of cork. 

 It was found much easier to use a piece of rubber 

 tube cut and bent to shape and carefully painted 

 the life color. The long, powerful hook and the 

 heavy rubber make it weigh somewhat more — a 

 little over a quarter of an ounce ; but it is quite light 

 enough to cast with a long fly-rod. After casting, 

 it should be allowed to sink near the bottom, then 

 rapidly reeled in — its bent shape giving a peculiar 

 twisting wriggle to imitate the motion of a live eel. 

 It is quite possible (though not yet tried) that the 

 addition of a small half-inch silver flat spoon at- 

 tached to the eye of the hook would prove an extra 

 attraction to the bass. Later on a trial will be 

 made to construct a floating lamper of cork reen- 

 forced with silver wire and wound in silk. Such a 

 lure will be more expensive; whether it will be 

 worth while remains to be seen by a test. 



163 



