The Black Bass 



So in fishing a like comparison is possi- 

 ble fly-fishing for salmon, black bass, 

 trout, or grayling as against fishing for 

 tarpon and tuna, which are worthless when 

 killed except as food for sharks. In the 

 first case the angler's skill, and his knowl- 

 edge of its habits, are pitted against the 

 wiles of the fish, with but a weak and 

 slender snell of silkworm fiber between its 

 capture or escape, while in the case of the 

 leviathans mentioned, they are handicapped 

 by being hooked in the gullet, and by tow- 

 ing a boat in their struggle for freedom. 

 But comparisons are always odious. While 

 the choice between the " gentle " art and 

 strenuous fishing is certainly a question of 

 taste, it may depend somewhat on the 

 length of one's purse. 



Black-bass fishing ! These are words to Black Bass 

 conjure with. What pleasurable emotions ! 

 they call up ! To the superannuated angler 

 the words are fraught with retrospective 

 reflections of the keenest enjoyment, while 

 they cause the soul of the new hand to 

 become obsessed with pleasures yet to 

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