GENERAL AND SPECIAL FEATURES. 37 



comes just to the surface, and gives an ugly shake like a bulldog 

 with a cat in his mouth. He never makes bold leaps for freedom 

 nor desperate runs. The small-mouth, on the contrary, is all 

 game. The instant he strikes he goes for deep water to enjoy his 

 morsel in peace, but when he feels the sharp sting of the hook, 

 as though suddenly realizing his danger, he makes a grand leap 

 for life and freedom, frequently rising three, four, and five feet, 

 clear of the water. If that fails, he rushes for deep water with 

 an energy and power that thrills and delights the fly-caster. And 

 he gives up only after a desperate struggle. I have known small- 

 mouth Bass to leap clear of the water five or six times before 

 submitting to be netted. Did any large-mouth ever do as much ? 

 The small-mouth, again, fights with his mouth shut, while the 

 large-mouth comes to the net with jaws gaping like a pickerel on 

 a trolling line." 



"Rob Roy" shows himself in the above to be quite im- 

 aginative and very prejudiced. No Bass ever leaped "five 

 feet." No Bass, large or small-mouthed, ever " sulked." 

 A Bass, or any other fish, will fight with its mouth open or 

 shut according to the part of the mouth it is hooked in. 

 When caught, the large-mouth " sulks near the bottom," 

 but the small-mouth goes to the same place to " enjoy his 

 morsel in peace." How does " Rob Roy " know this ? 



In contrast to the above note the following from " E. F.," 

 of Chicago : 



" I have fished for Bass in some of the Northern lakes, the 

 Delaware, Susquehanna, Alleghany, Potomac, Shenandoah, and 

 some smaller streams, also in Florida and other Southern States. 

 As I have never caught a large-mouth Bass in running water, I 

 can not give an opinion as to the relative gameness of the two 

 fish. I will say one thing in favor of the large-mouth fish 

 which, to me, covers a multitude of sins, and that is, he is a 



