108 PRACTICAL FLY FISHING 



Trout fishermen have often disagreed with the above 

 which they have a right to do. 



Biologically, the black bass is a fish superior to any 

 of the salmon tribe which are of a more primitive type 

 as shown by their abdominal ventrals, their soft rayed 

 fins and cycloid scales, the bass with his thoracic ven- 

 trals, ctenoid scales and spines in his fins, being more 

 advanced. His breeding habits and the care he takes 

 of his young add to his biological superiority. With- 

 out much exaggeration, one could say that the trouts 

 and salmon are herrings with college educations while 

 the bass is to the manner born. All this, however, is 

 cold science and belittles a noble race of fishes fishes 

 all real anglers love if they know them. 



The fighting tactics of the small mouthed bass are 

 characteristic. He seldom sulks but keeps on the move 

 when hooked. Nearly always he leaps at least once 

 and usually again and again. His leap is different 

 from that of the brown trout (fario) or the rainbow 

 trout (irideus), the brook trout never leaping on a 

 slack line except on the covers of magazines. These 

 two trouts merely break water and turn over but the 

 bass " stands on his tail " and, having no neck with 

 which to shake his head, he shakes his whole body 

 a strategic move that often, very often, ends in dis- 

 aster to the angler's tackle. Failing to shake out the 

 hook by leaping and shaking, he is quick to take ad- 

 vantage of any near-by snag, around which he will 

 quickly wrap the line or leader or saw it off on any 

 jagged rock or debris he can find. Another of his 



