i io PRACTICAL FLY FISHING 



LARGE AND SMALL MOUTHED BASSES COMPARED 



Inexperienced anglers often have trouble distinguish- 

 ing between the large and small mouthed basses al- 

 though the differences are distinct. The small mouthed 

 species is generally darker colored and, of course, 

 has a smaller mouth, and by comparing the two in 

 the illustration (which is from the " Manual of Fish 

 Culture " of the U. S. Department of Fisheries and 

 correct) one can see that the small mouthed is trimmer 

 in build and the maxillary the thin, tough, mus- 

 tache-like plate on the upper lip extends only to the 

 eye in the small mouthed and to behind the eye in 

 the large mouthed. The U. S. Fisheries Department 

 gives the following comparison: 



Large-mouthed Black Bass 



" Body comparatively long, the depth about one-third 

 the length; back little elevated; head large, 3 to 3% 

 in body; eye 5 to 6 in head; mouth very large, the 

 maxillary in adults extending beyond eye, smaller in 

 young. Ten rows of scales on the cheeks; body scales 

 large, about 68 in the lateral line, and 7 above and 

 1 6 below the line. Dorsal fin low, deeply notched, 

 larger than anal, with io spines and 12 or 13 soft 

 rays; anal with 3 spines and io or u rays. Color 

 above dark-green, sides greenish-silvery, belly white; 

 young with a blackish band along sides from opercle to 

 tail, the band breaking up and growing paler with 

 age; caudal fin pale at base, white on edge and black 



