THE BLACK BASSE. 



191 



His capture is a less easy task, and involves, or is supposed 

 to involve, more science, and to be a truer proof of merit as 

 an angler, than any other tenant of our crystal waters. But 

 (let me whisper it in thy ear, my friend !) there is much of 

 fancy in all this. He is a noble fish, and struggles vigorously 

 and most pertinaciously for liberty ; but no art nor skill, unat- 

 tainable by thee, or any one, is requisite to hook or draw 

 him from his element. 



" This fish beds in our streams and rivers, and probably, 

 too, on the bars and shoals of our bay. Numbers run up the 

 larger streams in May, and bite freely at the worm, in the 

 middle and latter part of that month, in the Tonawanda. His 

 appearance is too familiar to need description. His color 

 varies, though it generally approaches black. I think only 

 the smaller basse run up the creeks. Those taken in Tona 

 wanda seldom overweigh two or two and a half pounds, and 

 have a greenish hue. In the river they attain a weight of 

 four and four and a half, and even five pounds ; and occasion- 

 ally heavier ones have been taken, weighing even eight 

 pounds. The river fish, when fresh from the water, is fre- 

 quently banded, like the perch, with broad bars of a darker 

 hue, which disappear, however, and fade into the general 

 color of the fish as he becomes dry. He seldom takes the 

 hook, in the Niagara, until June. He is always fine eating, 

 but is fattest and best in autumn." 



He is angled for in the usual way, and with the same ar- 

 rangement of tackle as the striped basse or salmon ; and with 

 some enthusiastic western sportsmen, is thought to give more 

 amusement than either. But the most active and exciting 

 mode of pursuit is with the trolling rod and boat. We are 

 indebted to a friend who has frequented Lake George, for the 

 following interesting communication : 



" This is a game fish, affording the angler the very highest 

 enjoyment. These fish are taken in various ways. When 



