16 PRACTICAL FLY FISHING 



of science, art, letters, statecraft and holy callings, 

 from times immemorial, have hearkened to the call of 

 the waters; have been thrilled by the swirling of lusty 

 fishes and consoled by the song of the south wind and 

 have been made " merie in Spyryte " and consequently 

 better men thereby. 



EARLY BASS FISHING 



One of the very first to write of black bass fishing 

 was Bartram, the naturalist. In 1764 he wrote an 

 account of " bobbing " in Florida for " trout " as black 

 bass are still called in the South. This method, some- 

 what similar to " skittering," as practiced in the North, 

 consists of manipulating a large treble hook concealed 

 in a tuft of bucktail hair and red feathers called a 

 " bob." This " bob " is tied to a very short, strong 

 line on a long pole. " The steersman paddles softly 

 and proceeds slowly along shore; he now ingeniously 

 swings the bob backwards and forwards, just above 

 the surface and sometimes tips the water with it, when 

 the unfortunate cheated trout instantly springs from 

 under the reeds and seizes the supposed prey." 



Bobbing is still practiced but one could hardly call 

 bobbing fly fishing although similar to it in principle 

 and not differing a great deal from the " fly fishing " 

 methods no doubt pursued by our cave-men ancestors 

 in the brave days of old. 



