192 



THE BLACK BASSE. 



collected on their feeding grounds, in August and the subse- 

 quent fall months, they are sometimes taken in considerable 

 numbers. The usual mode of angling for them at this time, 

 is either with or without a float, and with live bait — a small 

 fish taken.for the purpose, along the lake shores or in brooks. 

 They are exceedingly strong and active — qualities which 

 delight the angler. When first hooked, they run very wild, 

 and almost invariably rise to the surface, and leap one, two, 

 and even three feet in the air, shaking the head violently, 

 evidently with a view to dislodge the fatal hook. Frequently, 

 while making their runs, they will suddenly turn and come 

 with all their power directly towards their enemy, and by 

 thus slacking the line, will succeed in shaking the hook loose: 

 this often happens with unexperienced fishermen, but more 

 rarely with the angler who holds a good reel and winds 

 rapidly. The most beautiful mode of angling for them 

 known, is trolling either with live bait or an artificial fly of 

 large size and gay appearance. The writer has succeeded 

 remarkably well with a fly made on a large-sized Limerick 

 hook, such as are used for striped basse when fishing with 

 crab bait. The fly is made as follows :— Body of a peacock 

 feather, wings of bright scarlet kerseymere and white pigeon 

 feathers ; or, the feather stripped from a white goose-quill, 

 . and wound round like the hackle, and surmounted with thin • 

 strips of scarlet forwings. For trolling pleasantly and com- 

 - fortably, the angler should provide a moveable seat, which 

 he can place across the gunwale of his boat, in order that he 

 may sit with his back to the oarsman, and facing the stern. 

 Thus he will have full command of his rod and line, and not 

 be sitting in the cramping attitude which the lowness of the 

 seats would cause. He should reel off fifty to sixty, or even 

 one hundred or more feet of line, and on going over shallow 

 reefs of seven or eight feet depth, two hundred feet, as the 

 fish feeding on the reefs usually dart aside as the boat passes, 



