Black Bass Fishing. 389 



a springy arch, soon reeled the bass within a few feet, when he put 

 the landing-net under him. Then addressing Ignatius, he said : 



" The humane angler always kills his fish as soon as caught 

 by severing the spinal cord at the neck with ' a sharp-pointed 

 knife, by breaking the neck, or by a smart blow on the head. 

 Then raising the gill-cover, he bleeds the fish by puncturing a 

 large venous sinus, which shows as a dark space nearly opposite 

 the pectoral fin. Killing and bleeding a fish is not only a merciful 

 act, but it enhances its value for the table, rendering the flesh 

 firmer, sweeter, and of better color." 



Ignatius was capable of admiring the Professor's humanity, but he 

 was most attracted by his wonderful skill. His grace and deliber- 

 ation, though natural and inborn to a certain degree, were chiefly 

 the result of many years' devotion to the rod and gun and the prac- 

 tical study of the habits of fish and game. There is more symmetry 

 of form and natural grace of motion among the aboriginal races of 

 the world, trained to the pursuit of animals on land and water from 

 childhood, than among the civilized and enlightened ; our brains are 

 developed and fostered at the expense of our bodies ; therefore, the 

 nervous, jerky, impatient, and impetuous man will never make a 

 truly successful angler nor a really good shot, though he may attain 

 to a certain mediocrity in both sports. 



At the next cast the Professor fastened a two-pound bass to the 

 "polka," and while giving him play another bass of the same weight 

 took the " Lord Baltimore." As these fish kept down-stream, the 

 full force of the current was an additional factor of resistance to the 

 rod, which seemed to Ignatius to bend nearly double, and caused 

 him to say : 



"You will have a hard time to land them both, Professor!" 



" Not necessarily, for although the weight is greater, they, to- 

 gether, will not play much longer than a single fish, if so long ; for 

 they are pulling against each other. It only remains for me to hold 

 them by the spring of the rod and let them fight it out." 



His method of landing them was unique : Holding the net a few 

 inches beneath the surface, he first drew in the bass on the stretcher- 

 fly; then, as he turned up the lower or down-river half of the net-rim 

 to the surface, he let the bass on the bob-fly drop back with the 

 current into it, and lifted out both. 

 25A 



