FISHING A RIVER FROM A BOAT 189 



that none hang deep in the water, lest he come to 

 grief. A snag deep down in such a place, if the river 

 be swift, is really a serious matter. It is easier than 

 the unitiated imagine to court a spill. Listen, you 

 will find it exceedingly difficult to disengage a lure 

 fast on a swaying branch four feet beneath the sur- 

 face; a solid snag is a less serious problem. Never- 

 theless a true angler will not allow the fear of snags 

 to drive him by a low-hanging tree, rather he will 

 risk precious tackle in an adventurous cast. 



The sleeping log is always worth investigating. 

 Usually it has been brought down by some freshet 

 and left with one end embedded in the silt, the other 

 lying out in the water, diagonally to the current. 

 The chances are that somewhere along its length the 

 current has mined out a hole which can be located 

 by the welling water upon the lower side. That is 

 the place to cast first, then if no response is received, 

 fish out the whole log, taking time to do it thor- 

 oughly. In such a location the angler must be ready 

 to swing his rod sharply to right or left, lest the bass 

 get under the log, its tactics every time. Fight the 

 fish with the spring of the rod, backed up with the 

 ever ready reel. The caster must remember to pay 

 closest attention to the game from start to finish or 

 he will be beaten. The black bass is not only a great 

 fighter, he is also an ichthyic strategist beyond 

 compare. 



I have already mentioned the eddy, and it is a 



