STRATEGY 159 



firmly, and keep him away from snags, sharp stones 

 and other debris. Give him no slack but let him 

 have his head a little if he appears to be pulling too 

 hard for your leader. When he is tired by the constant 

 bend of the rod then get the net ready but don't make 

 the all too common mistake of jabbing at the fish with 

 the net why try to catch a fish you have already 

 caught? Get the fish up stream of you and merely 

 submerge the net and lead him over it. 



Just a few more hints and I am done. When cast- 

 ing with a spinner or other heavy lure retrieve in the 

 regular way but on the last pull do not bring it to the 

 surface and make the back cast one continuous move- 

 ment. Better for your rod and wrist if you will bring 

 it to the top o' the water and then " pick it off " the 

 surface on the back cast. Even giving a little jerk with 

 the line in your left hand as you start the back cast 

 will help. 



To make a spinner effective it must be retrieved 

 against or partially against the flow of the stream, hence 

 it should be cast down stream or diagonally across and 

 down. When casting with a cork bodied fly it is 

 customary to cast it up and across and strip in the 

 slack with the left hand as it floats down to you. Does 

 the splash of one of these bulky flies scare the fish? 

 Sometimes but not often. The bass is not a shy fish 

 and has a big bump of curiosity. He is something like 

 the fighting forbears of the Irishman who was asked 

 whom his ancestors sprung from. " They sprung from 

 nobody," he said ; " they sprung at 'em." Any large 



