21 



stance like a sleeve button or a coin, dropped into 

 water and swallowed immediately ? I have known 

 bass to be caught on a bare bright hook, and the 

 funny stories one laughs at about wintergreen berries 

 and lish scales proving attractive bait are not so 

 much out of probability. 



In the Southern States a belief exists that bass 

 are always on the feed when the moon is above the 

 horizon, particularly at rise and set ; many old ex- 

 perienced fishermen will only fish during the last 

 quarter until the new moon. The same variety of 

 ideas exist regarding rain ; one angler believes that 

 bass will not bite before a rain, another during a 

 rain, arid still another after a rain. As a matter of 

 fact they feed irrespective of rain, but of course we 

 have all found the best time is undoubtedly just 

 after a rain, because of the great number of insects 

 and larvae that are washed or shaken into the water 

 from the overhanging branches of trees and bushes. 



One reason why they do not take the bait so well 

 just before the rain is because of the lull that takes 

 place, causing the water to become flat and still, so 

 rendering objects, especially the angler, more dis- 

 tinct. The bass is a very wary fish, and requires 

 but little to make them uneasy and shy. Night 

 and morning is the best time for bait fishing, unless 

 the weather be cold ; then from about 3 to 6 p.m. 

 For fly fishing, two hours after sunrise and one 

 hour or two before dark will be found the most 

 tempting time. 



In lake fishing it is always best to run out to the 



