HINTS ON FISHING 151 



heads up stream and there is the ever-present possi- 

 bility of scaring the fish by casting down stream to 

 him. One seldom, however, fishes directly either up 

 or down stream but across stream at an angle. Usual- 

 ly in fishing a stream the writer prefers to cast down 

 and across, retrieving the lure partially against the 

 current, sometimes retrieving it a way and then per- 

 mitting it to fall back again in imitation of a minnow 

 trying to breast the current. When using spinners 

 they work best when reeled against, or at least aross 

 the flow. 



It is common advice that when a fish is hooked the 

 fisherman should lead him to a quiet spot and then 

 land him, which is good advice if it can be done. Our 

 experience is that it often is impracticable. 



Small mouth bass are the usual quarry in fishing 

 a fast stream because fast water and rocky or gravelly 

 bottom are his favorite haunts, the large mouth bass 

 preferring slower water, mud bottom, and weeds as 

 do the pike and pickerel. Pike-perch are often found 

 in the same waters as the small mouth bass. Since 

 the small mouth bass and pike-perch are most often 

 found in the fast stream it naturally follows that their 

 favorite foods stream minnows, crawfish, and hel- 

 gramites are the best natural baits* The spinner 

 and spinner and fly combination are also at their 

 best in fast water. The wobbler and underwater 

 artificial baits can be used in the deeper pools and 

 reaches. 



