346 Book of the Black Bass. 



of the swamps of Ohio the big-mouth is an inferior fish, but' 

 there is yet to be found his superior where he has a fair chance. 

 " Taking the two fish at their best, there is no man living can 

 tell the difl'erence in their taking the fly, in their fight to the 

 boat, or on the platter, by any other sign than that one has a 

 more capacious smile than the other; and by the same token 

 he is just a little the better jumper and will leave the water 

 oftener after being hooked, and is as long in coming to the net 

 as his cousin." 



Owing to my admiration for the black bass as a game- 

 fish, and my championship of its cause for many years, and 

 my efforts to place it in the front rank of game-fishes, and 

 my desire to have it placed in new waters, I am sometimes, 

 thoughtlessly and unjustly, accused of being opposed to the 

 brook trout, and of advising the stocking of trout streams 

 with my " favorite " fish. Nothing can be further from 

 the truth. 



I am utterly opposed to the introduction of black bass 

 into waters in which there is the remotest chance for the 

 brook trout or rainbow trout to thrive. I yield to no one 

 in love and admiration for the brook trout. I was perfectly 

 familiar with it before I ever saw a black bass; but T 

 am not so blinded by prejudice but that I can share that 

 love with the black bass, which for several reasons is des- 

 tined to become the favorite game-fish of America. " My 

 offending hath this extent, no more." 



Let us look this thing squarely in the face. I do not 

 wish to disturb any one's preference, but I do want to dis- 

 abuse the minds of anglers of all prejudice in the matter. 

 The brook trout must go. It has already gone from many 

 streams, and is fast disappearing from others. It is sad to 

 contemplate the extinction of the " angler's pride " in pub- 

 lic waters, but the stern fact remains that in this utilitarian 

 age its days are numbered and its fat.e irrevocably sealed. 



