THE basses: fres h-w ater and marine 



The largest and most taking fly is placed as the 

 end, or taU, fly. Should the upper fly be taken first, 

 it is then removed to the end — the end fly being 

 much easier to handle, especially with a large fish. 

 Should the first cast of flies be unsuccessful, it is 

 short work to take it oif the hne and replace it with 

 another, duUer in color, or brighter, as the case 

 may be. By this means, he claims, possibly with 

 truth, that less time is wasted and the quarry sooner 

 brought to the basket. It certainly has advantages 

 when fishing after dusk, with little hght to see the 

 fly or tie it on the leader. 



Many anglers assert that for bass-fishing one fly 

 is sufficient, and some think a small spoon used with 

 the fly gives better results. This would be espe- 

 cially so when a vari-colored fly like the Ferguson 

 is used. It would seem that with two flies, tied 

 forty inches apart and having as great a diff'erence 

 as possible in color and size, success would be more 

 sure. It is by no means rare that two fish will take 

 the flies at the same time. Often in playing one fish 

 the other fly, being moved rapidly in the water, will 

 be taken by another fish, out of pure jealousy. An 

 instance of this kind was shown when the writer,, 

 fishing with a live minnow on the end of the leader, 

 and a fly tied three feet from the bait, a good- 

 sized pickerel took the minnow. After being 

 brought to the edge of the boat, he broke away, 

 again to be returned, with a large bass on the fly — • 



132 



