213 



no essential difference between fly fishing for black bass 

 and for trout, except that it is well to fish a little more 

 slowly. The rod is the same, the line the same, and 

 there is the same necessity for dexterity in controlling 

 the "fly and the line. Black bass are not so beautiful nor 

 delicate a fish, but they are more fierce and fully as 

 courageous. They are rarely brought to the net till 

 after they have leaped a half dozen times from the 

 water, sometimes as high as three feet from its snrfiace. 

 The thrill of dread which this manoeuvre on their part 

 arouses in the mind of the fisherman is never staled by 

 repetition and there is no assurance of safety till the bass 

 is fairly landed. ^ 



Oswego Bass. — These fish resemble the black bass 

 so closely that they are often confounded with them, but 

 they are quite inferior. They inhabit a lower class of 

 waters, prefering ponds and streams with sluggish 

 currents and muddy bottoms. They rarely rise to 

 the fiy but will take the trolling spoon voraciously. 

 When hooked, however, they make no play but after 

 one or two feeble rushes come in like a "wet rag." 

 2f either are they so good a table fish as the black bass. 

 They inhabit most of the southern waters of our country 

 being found in vast numbers in the coast lagoons of the 

 southern states, in water that is often quite blackish 

 from the inroads of the sea during high tides. They 

 grow to weigh fifteen pounds quite frequently and some- 

 times are said to exceed that by as much as five more. 

 In the northern states they rarely exceed five or six 

 pounds. 



Ma-SOallonqe. — This fish, which is the king of the 



_ pickerel tribe; grows to a great size and gives good sport. 



He is strong and willful, and is much better on the table 



than his smaller kinsmen. He is taken by trolling with 



