CASTING LURES 105 



SURFACE-UNDERWATER LURES 



As to whether the surface-underwater was an in- 

 vention or discovery I am unable to say. I am in- 

 clined to think it the latter. Some one discovered 

 that a stick whittled into a certain shape, if drawn 

 through the water, would submerge, coming to the 

 surface as soon as the tension on the line was re- 

 leased. Such with hooks added is the modern 

 surface-underwater lure, though movement is pro- 

 duced by various schemes and attachments. I can 

 well remember the first lure of the kind that came 

 my way. I saw it in a tackle store window, the oc- 

 casion of many a contemptuous remark, the butt of 

 many a joke. While I, like other anglers, made all 

 manner of sport of the thing, stole back and pur- 

 chased it on the sly for a surreptitious try-out. Not 

 that I thought it possessed any great virtue, but be- 

 cause I have never been able to pass up any new 

 idea in tackle without investigating. It was not 

 much of a lure as lures go in this year of grace, 1920, 

 just a slant-nosed block of green painted wood, un- 

 like any fish food, seen or imagined. That night I 

 fished an unfrequented "bass hole" when I was 

 reasonably certain no one would happen by. I cast 

 and began to reel. Down, down went the lure. 

 Now, Fate, Luck, or whatever it is that rules in the 

 lives of fishermen, had its eye on me and my new 

 wrinkle. First, a big pike took the lure, then a 

 goodly bass connected up, followed at the next cast 



