34 



THE SMALL-MOUTHED BASS 



Striped Darter 



(From Photograph by B. A. Bensley) 



and after we had polished off everything in the form of 

 "gnib" and had a ''smoke," we decided to try our kick again. 

 We sailed to a group of reefs, fairly well protected from 

 the wind, and anchored in about eight feet of water. 



I have but a faint 

 recollection of all the 

 accidents which hap- 

 pened at this place; 

 but if my memory 

 serves me right we 

 lost all our ropes and 

 anchors, hooks and lines, and the butt and reel of one rod, 

 to the accompaniment of some very disagreeable conversa- 

 tion. 



We got three bass, though more by good luck than by 

 expert fishing. The final catastrophe came about three 

 o'clock, when the pin holding the iron centreboard of the 

 dinghy worked out and at the same time our last anchor 

 rope parted, and as the dinghy drifted quickly amongst the 

 shallow rocks the centreboard became wedged in a crevice 

 between two boulders. This necessitated immediate action, 

 so we both jumped into the water, and in a confusion of surf, 

 wind and some profanity, finally succeeded in getting the 

 dinghy free. 



We then start- 

 ed for home, and 

 during the voyage 

 I dilated upon the 

 advantages of 

 fishing from a sail- 

 boat, much to the 

 disgust of the other occupant of the boat. 



We landed at five o'clock, having caught seven bass in 

 seven hours. 



Even when one does not fish from a boat, but walks 



silver Shiner 

 (From Photograph by B. A. Bensley) 



