HINTS ON FISHING 153 



allurement of the possibility of landing a "whopper." 



Fortunately, the best season of the year for night 

 casting is in midsummer when fishing in the daytime 

 is the least productive. This is the time that the 

 fish, especially bass, spend their days in the deepest 

 water and come into the shallows at, or immediately 

 after, sundown. These facts should be kept in mind 

 by those who take their vacations during the hot spell 

 and by those who live near fishable waters and have 

 little time during the day to fish. 



The best water for this fishing is, of course, that 

 which is free of heavy weeds, logs, and other obstruc- 

 tions, because you usually are unable to tell where 

 your fish is going when hooked and he is therefore like- 

 ly to foul your line if there is any debris in the im- 

 mediate vicinity. 



The tackle for night casting must be sturdy, not 

 only because the fish are likely to be larger, but be- 

 cause it is impossible to handle a hooked fish delicate- 

 ly when you cannot see him. The rod should be of 

 steel or wood, although a heavy bamboo one can be 

 used, and the line should test from 1 6 to 20 pounds, 

 fine casting of course being out of the question. Some 

 very able casters use a self-thumbing reel for night 

 work and there is no doubt that a back-lash and a big 

 fish struggling for liberty way out there some place in 

 the dark would be a very embarrassing combination! 



Light colored lures are the best and those with the 

 luminous finish are of especial value. Luminous finish 

 is phosphorous, that "absorbs" light and throws it off in 



