FISHING FOR BLACK BASS. 141 



on a bait-casting outfit, and the fly fishermen are all sports- 

 men. There is no nicer and more enjoyable way of fishing. 



Bass will only take a fly when in shallow water, and it is 

 useless to fish for them in this way at any other time. As 

 they feed mainly at night, the best fly fishing is in early 

 morning and late evening, and at such times they will be 

 found on the riffles and in shallow water. Spring and early 

 summer and early autumn are the best seasons for fly 

 fishing. It requires considerable study for best results and 

 the angler should learn the habits of the fish thoroughly, 

 and study their peculiarities, and should also know the waters 

 well. Usually the morning and evening of bright days, when 

 there is a light breeze and the water is clear and a normal 

 height, will yield the best catches. 



The fly should be danced gently on the surface of the 

 water and then allowed to sink and float a few inches beneath 

 the surface for quite a distance before making another cast 

 Lakes should be fished from a boat, but on the streams the 

 angler should wade, and it is generally conceded best to fish 

 down stream, casting out first this way and then that, to 

 all of the good looking sp.ots. 



The fly rod is always used for this fishing, and it should 

 not be too light a one, especially for the beginner, neither 

 should the amateur buy an expensive rod to learn with. The 

 reel may be either a single action click, holding eighty yards 

 of line, or an automatic of about the same capacity. A 

 single action reel of 100 yards capacity is even better than 

 a smaller one. These reels will hold only about half that 

 much size E enameled silk line, which is the kind to use. 

 A six foot double gut leader or heavy single one is best for 

 the amateur and a single fly should be used on it. A six 

 foot single gut leader is usually preferred by the experienced 

 fly fisherman, and for daylight use it is better than a short 

 one. Two flies may be used on a six foot leader. 



