170 SCIENCE OF FISHING. 



red and blue spots, and greenish yellow on the under parts. 

 It never weighs more than a pound. As a game fish it is 

 quite a favorite and takes either a fly or natural bait. 



All of the sunfish spawn in spring and early summer. 

 The nest is made in a bed of sand or gravel in shallow 

 water and is carefully guarded by the parent fish. After 

 the fry make their appearance they are guarded by the male 

 fish until several days old. Their food consists of insects, 

 larvae, crustaceans, the fry and eggs of other fish, worms, etc. 



Sunfish of nearly all kinds will rise to a fly. The best 

 fishing is to be had in late afternoon and evening, when a 

 light breeze is blowing. The tackle should be a light fly rod, 

 the lighter the better, a small single action reel, smallest en- 

 ameled silk line, light single gut leader, three feet long, and 

 small trout flies. 



It should be understood by all who read this book that 

 what I describe as the "best" tackle is the kind I think best, 

 and you may have different ideas on this subject. I would 

 not expect anybody to buy a special fly outfit for catching 

 sunfish, but I mean that this is what I consider most fitting, 

 and if you have such tackle, use it, but if you have not got 

 that kind, use what you have, for almost any kind of fish can 

 be taken with almost any kind of tackle, if it is properly, 

 handled. You can catch sunfish with a long cane pole, a 

 cotton line, ringed hook and bait, but will get more enjoy- 

 ment out of your fishing if you have fine, light tackle to use 

 for them. As a further illustration, large muskellunge, pike, 

 and Atlantic salmon have been taken with a common light 

 trout fly rod and tackle, and the large and gamey ocean fish 

 are sometimes taken on tackle as light as that sometimes 

 used for black bass and such fish at the same time they 

 are hauled in by fishermen using a heavy handline. There- 

 fore, when I say that a rod of this kind, and that kind of a 

 line, is the kind to use. I mean that if you have that kind, 

 use it, or if you want to buy special tackle for that kind of 



