FISH AND FISHING. 



FLY FISHING FOR PICKEREL. 



THEODORE GORDON. 



Many of the busiest workers in our large 

 cities are ardent devotees of the fly rod, 

 preferring fly fishing to any other recrea- 

 tion. No other sport can be compared with 

 it in affording rest for the mind harassed 

 by cares and anxieties, and just sufficient 

 exercise for the body and limbs. Unfor- 

 tunately the strenuous endeavor required to 

 insure success, or even a modest livelihood 

 at the present time, prohibits indulgence in 

 this favorite sport during the spring months, 

 when trout fishing is at its best. A day or 

 2 may be stolen now and then, but not often 

 with a mind at ease. One fears that some 

 serious loss may be incurred or mistake 

 made by those left in charge of the business 

 or affairs. 



The vacation time for most men comes in 

 July, August or September, when the 

 weather is hot and fly fishing for trout un- 

 certain and unsatisfactory, except after a 

 cool change with rain and a rise in the 

 water. Even then success is by no means 

 assured; and for real recreation the tired 

 man must have some sport, have something 

 to show as the result of a long summer day 

 out of doors. He may be a keen observer 

 and enjoy all the natural beauties which 

 meet his eyes, but unless he has caught fish 

 and has some story of sport to tell he re- 

 turns to his temporary home tired and with 

 a sense of failure. 



Thinking of these things, and having the 

 greatest sympathy for those who love fly 

 fishing, but whose opportunities are limited. 

 I venture a few suggestions which may en- 

 able them to enjoy some sport when the 

 conditions of the weather and the mood of 

 the fish make fly fishing for trout a toil in- 

 stead of a pleasure. Trout are not the onlv 

 fish that will rise to an artificial fly. In 

 some waters black bass take it freely, but I 

 refer more particularly to the common 

 pike, or pickerel, which inhabits nearly all 

 the ponds and lakes in the Eastern States. 

 Do not look down on this long nosed gen- 

 tleman. He is a free riser to the fly. if it is 

 properly made and presented. Fished for 

 with the ordinary fly rod he is a much bet- 

 ter game fish than he is reputed to be. 

 Usually this fish is lugged out of his native 

 element with a clothes prop and a meat 

 hook without a chance to show any fight 

 whatever. With light tackle the pickerel 

 is not to be despised as an antagonist; and 

 days spent in its pursuits, among agreeable 

 surroundings, perhaps with a pleasant com- 

 panion, are often delightful. There is the 



drive or walk in the early morning, when 

 the air is fresh and cool, and even if the 

 day is warm the heat is not felt on the wa- 

 ter, as there is usually a breeze. Enough 

 rises may be expected to keep the mind 

 from straying from the object in hand, and 

 on a body of open water there is a clear 

 and unobstructed view of the surrounding 

 country. 



If there are pickerel in a lake there are 

 usually plenty of them. If the larger fish 

 are not moving you jan at least have some 

 fun with the small ones, though that is not 

 much sport. The possibilities, however, are 

 great, as the common pickerel grows to a 

 considerable size, sometimes weighing 7 or 8 

 pounds, and occasionally these big fish will 

 rise. I have had this experience more than 

 once, only to lose the fish by having the gut 

 leader cut by his sharp teeth. The sensa- 

 tion of having one of these sharklike fish 

 rise in plain sight and seize your fly is 

 something to be remembered. 



If there are black bass in the lake you 

 may strike a large one in deep water with 

 the flies used for pickerel ; but pickerel are 

 likely to be more numerous where no bass 

 are found, though this is not always the 

 case. Of course a bass must be rather 

 hungry or in a fierce mood to strike at a 

 pickerel fly. Fish do not always take a fly 

 because they are hungry. Many of our 

 most distinguished salmon anglers believe 

 that the salmon takes no food in fresh water 

 and that it rises to a fly only because it is 

 angry or tantalized. Black and red in com- 

 bination are supposed to annoy salmon, par- 

 ticularly on a hot, bright day. Life is given 

 to the fly by a series of short pulls or move- 

 ments of the rod, and all game fishes are apt 

 to strike at anv small object having this ap- 

 pearance. This is particularly true of the 

 pickerel, and I have designed several flies 

 for their special temptation. The following 

 formula may be of service : 



Tag, flat silver tinsel; tail, 2 small 

 feathers from the scarlet ibis, back to back, 

 and quite straight on the hook; butt, scar- 

 let chenille; body, white silk chenille, white 

 ostrich or any soft, white fur, with 2 or 3 

 turns of red mohair or pig's wool at shoul- 

 der ; rib, flat or oval silver tinsel; wings, 

 double strips of white swan or goose, with 

 sprigs of scarlet ibis ; legs, a white furnace 

 hackle, white with black center, or a good 

 badger hackle, the larger the hackle the bet- 

 ter. Over the wing I like a bright teal or 

 widgeon feather. It shows more there than 

 if it is put on with the other hackle. 



There can hardly be too much hackle on 



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