FISHING FOR THE SUN-FISH 7/ 



the sun-fish. The same remark applies to the 

 " crappie," so beloved of the youth of the Missis- 

 sippi Valley. Small fish are a good bait for these, 

 and also for the rock bass ; and I have caught the 

 latter in great plenty in the upper Hudson on 

 "dobsons," — the larvas of the corydalus corniitns, 

 or helgramite fly. 



To fish for the yellow perch is yet one step 

 higher in angling promotion, and very nearly ap- 

 proaches the art of catching the black basses. In 

 all waters inhabited by them, the yellow perch is 

 a beautiful fish, and differs but slightly from its 

 European brother of the same name. Given cool 

 water and plenty of food, it grows to a fair size, 

 and is then a brave fighter ; and if taken before 

 it spawns, is succulent and even delicious as a 

 table fish. One day last August (1893), Mr. 

 Edward Newbury and myself took a hundred and 

 twenty yellow perch out of Summit Lake, Wash- 

 ington County, New York, weighing just eighty- 

 six pounds, and we only fished eight hours. These 

 were all caught out of thirty feet of water, and 

 some of them went one pound in weight. Of 

 course in fishing for them it was necessary to 

 take off the bob and use a light sinker, striking 



