106 PRACTICAL FLY FISHING 



the fishing contest conducted annually by Field and 

 Stream an entry was made in 1918 that was claimed 

 to have tipped the scales at the colossal weight of six- 

 teen pounds but the entry was disqualified for lack of 

 suitable evidence. The first prize went to a specimen 

 weighing 9% pounds which is a large small mouthed 

 bass. The average weight of the prize winners in 

 this contest for the past eight years was approximately 

 7*4 pounds. 



One of the reasons why the small mouthed bass does 

 not attain greater size is due to its habit of spending 

 the winters in a state of semi-hibernation, when it does 

 little or no feeding. 



EDIBILITY 



As one would expect of a fish living in cold, clear 

 water and feeding, by choice on Crustacea and similar 

 foods, the small mouthed bass is an excellent table fish. 

 His flesh is firm, white, netted with fine, dark veins, 

 flaky and of a fine flavor and succulence. It is not as 

 oily as that of the trout and can be eaten oftener with- 

 out surfeit. In short, the small mouthed black bass 

 ranks with the very best of all food fishes. 



CULTURAL DIFFICULTIES 



It is unfortunate that the female bass cannot be 

 stripped and the eggs hatched artificially like those of 

 the trout. The eggs of the bass are gelatinous and al- 

 most impossible to fertilize artificially and the best the 

 fish culturist can do is to construct breeding ponds and 



