ARTIFICIAL LURES FOR BLACK BASS 



By JAMES A. CRUIKSHANK 



THE black basses have a special interest 

 for the sport-loving angler by reason of 

 the variety of methods by which they 

 may be taken. In many waters they will 

 rise readily to the artificial fly. A small spinner 

 or spoon, preceding a fly of fairly good size, fur- 

 nishes a lure light enough to use with a heavy fly- 

 rod, and will generally produce abundant sport 

 when the fish are taking a surface bait. Natural 

 bait, such as minnows, frogs, helgramites, grass- 

 hoppers, crickets, worms, and even small mice, will 

 each be found taking at times. And artificial lures, 

 — some in imitation of minnows, frogs, helgra- 

 mites, bugs, and mice, others of startling origi- 

 nality as to form, color, and motion either in air or 

 water, and resembling nothing ever seen by the eye 

 of man in the air, on the earth, or in the waters 

 under the earth, — are now ofi'ered in bewildering 

 profusion. Despite the first impression of the in* 



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