128 



RECREATION. 



the laws, and if they fish at all, prefer a 20- 

 pound cat out of the river to all the bass 

 in the creeks. Can any brother in the 

 gentle art explain these conditions? 



H. J. F., Fort Wayne, Ind. 



SOME LARGE SMALL MOUTHS. 

 While not prepared to declare as a rec- 

 ord breaker the 7 pound 6 ounce small 

 mouth black bass mentioned by Dr. S. in 

 December Recreation, I can give the bi- 

 ography of a pet bass, of that variety, which 

 for 9 years responded to the name of Dick, 

 and had evidently reached his majority so 

 far as weight was concerned. When Dick 

 was 4 inches long he was taken from his 

 natural element and put into a large 

 spring curb, in connection with a cheese 

 factory. He soon demonstrated the wisdom 

 of his captor, by depleting the ranks of 

 the water bug, the purpose for which 

 he was taken. At the approach of 

 winter a number of brook minnows were 

 put into the spring for his winter food. 

 His summer food consisted principally of 

 cheese curd, which he relished to such an 

 extent that he was ever aldermanic in pro- 

 portions. When he was a year old he 

 weighed less than a pound; at 2 years he 

 weighed 2 pounds; and he gained a 

 pound each year until he was 7 years old, 

 after which he did not gain an ounce. 

 When he was 9 years old the factory 

 changed hands and poor Dick usurped the 

 place of the traditional roast at Thanks- 

 giving. Although shy with strangers, he 

 readily responded to a call from those 

 about the place, would take food from the 

 fingers, and did not seriously object to be- 

 ing handled except at weighing time when 

 he was taken from the water. 



It is pathetic to note that at the din- 

 ner at which Dick was served the old gen- 

 tleman who had raised and petted him did 

 not eat of the fish. When asked why he 

 said, "I couldn't do it, boys. He was my 

 pet. I couldn't do it no how." 



C. C. Bartlett, Iowa Falls, la. 



MORE RECORD SMALL MOUTH BASS. 



Referring to the inquiry of Dr. S., in 

 December Recreation: Two guests at 

 Silver Bay last August caught, in Lake 

 George, 3 small mouth black bass, weigh- 

 ing respectively 5*4, 6}4 and 7% pounds, 

 the weight being taken several hours after 

 catching. The same question raised by Dr. 

 S. was asked by them, "Was not this 

 catch a 'record breaker'?" I referred the 

 matter to A. N. Cheney, New York State 

 Fish Culturist, and well known everywhere 

 as an authority on fish questions. The 

 following quotation from Mr. Cheney's 

 reply may interest others of your readers 

 as well as Dr. S.; 



"As to size of the small mouth, I caught 

 one in Long pond in '77 that weighed 8*4 

 pounds. I caught the fish in 5 minutes 

 and was more than 5 years making people 

 believe it. In '84 1 sent one of 8% pounds 

 to the National Museum at Washington, 

 where it now is. This year (1899) one was 

 caught in Long pond, now called Glen 

 lake, weighing 8-K pounds, and a few 

 years ago I saw and weighed a fish that 

 when first caught weighed 10 pounds. 

 When I saw the fish it weighed g l / 2 pounds. 

 I know of a dozen or more taken from 

 Glen lake weighing over 8 pounds." 



Glen lake is only a few miles from Lake 

 George, and was stocked with small mouth 

 black bass from the latter lake. 



Silas H. Paine, Silver Bay, N. Y. 



A BLACK BASS PARASITE. 

 We have many black bass and perch 

 here, but there are small white worms in 

 the flesh. They are rather flat in shape, and 

 about half an inch long. All I have found 

 have been curled up. Sometimes when I 

 have taken them out of the flesh and laid 

 them down they have crawled, and some- 

 times there is no life in them. I have gen- 

 erally found them in the thick meat near 

 the back. Can you tell me what this worm 

 is and whether the fish have them only in 

 certain waters? I have caught some nice 

 bass lately, but do not eat them for this 

 reason. 



Will Prindle, Poland, N. Y. 



ANSWER. 



It would be hazardous to attempt to 

 identify the worm parasite on the black 

 bass to which you refer, without specimens 

 for examination. If you can send me one 

 or more individuals, preserved in alcohol 

 or formalin, the identification can be made. 

 Parasites of various kinds attack bass and 

 other species of fish when the fish are 

 placed in an unfavorable environment. The 

 affectation is probably not one peculiar to 

 the fish of that particular pond. Bass in 

 similar ponds elsewhere would probably be 

 affected in the same way. 



CORDS OF FISH. 

 One day last summer while fishing in 

 Ten Mile creek, near the head of Lake 

 Erie, without much success, we asked an 

 old Frenchman where was a good point to 

 catch fish. He was an agreeable old chap 

 and told us where we could get some bass. 

 We followed his instructions andjiad good 

 luck. On our return we felt indebted to 

 the stranger, so asked him over to our 

 camp to have something. We gave him 

 the most comfortable chair, passed the 

 cigars, and my partner started the ball 

 rolling by saying that fishing was not what 

 it used to be. The old fellow, said that in 

 the '30's those creeks were so full of fish 



