48 THE ART OF FISHING. 



anglers provide themselves with prepared sticks of various lengths. 

 If the hook is completely swallowed, as is frequently the case, open 

 the stomach in the middle, cut away the hook, and slipping the 

 knot that holds the gimp, draw it out that way rather than through 

 the mouth. 



BLACK BASS — the small-mouthed variety," says a well known 

 angler, " is the only fish worthy of being called a substitute for the 

 trout and salmon. One of the most prolific and hardy fish, living 

 and thriving in waters where no member of the salmon family could 

 survive, the small-mouthed black bass is without doubt the coming 

 game fish of this country. There is yet much ignorance of its hab- 

 its and characteristics, even among sportsmen who are supposed to 

 be 'up' in all things pertaining to game fish.'"' 



There are many ways of fishing for the black ba?s, the most scien- 

 tific and sportsmanlike, but the most unsatisfactory as to results as 

 a general thing, being fly-fishing. Trolling, both with minnow and 

 spoon, is a favorite style of fishing for bass, and still-fishing with 

 many varieties of bait is another. As to fly fishing, and in fact all 

 kinds of fishing for bass, there is a great diversity of opinion among 

 sportsmen, arising from the fact that locality has much to do with 

 determining the best taking methods. That special flies for partic- 

 ular waters are necessary, all experience and observation have 

 settled beyond dispute, and, therefore, the fly fisherman needs to 

 observe the prevailing conditions of the locality where he intends 

 to cast his lines if he would have the aroma of a bass in his basket. 

 "The state of the weather, wind, clouds, sun, and water," says a 

 veteran bass fisherman, " and the special food the bass are seeking, 

 on the day, all have to be considered." Generally, early in the 

 season, where the water is high and discolored — speaking now as to 

 streams— light-colored, white, and gray flies and bright tinsel- 

 bodied flies are the most enticing. Later, dark brown, black, green, 

 and orange-bodied flies are the most attractive. Although there are 

 hundreds of varieties of combinations of the colors used in making 

 bass-flies, Seth Green says that there are really only four different 

 flies necessary for successful bass-fishing — provided, of course, that 

 the angler knows how to use them. These four are the Grizzly 

 King, the Gov. Alvord, the Seth Green, and a fly made with white 

 goose feathers wings, red worsted body, wound with tinsel, grizzly 

 hackle, with red on his tail. These four flies are used all at once on 

 the leader in the following order: The upper fly on the leader is the 



