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FOREST AND STREAM. 



[July 24, 1890. 



PECULIARITIES OF BASS FISHING. 



THE writer is not an angler in the proper sense of the 

 term, and is, therefore, elevated to the necessary 

 plane of disinterestedness and impartiality to present 

 without partisan bias, certain facts observed, relating 

 to the idiosyncrasies of the black bass or of the bass 

 fisherman with regard to bait, leaving the reader to 

 decide as to where the idiosynacrasies belong. 



The case may be stated as follows, viz : A, B, C and D, 

 go bass fishing on the same day, but independently. A 

 takes as bait crayfish and minnows ; B takes crayfish 

 and helgramites ; C takes helgramites, frogs and small 

 catfish ; and D takes all of them. The net resnlts of a 

 day's fishing of all of them may be represented by a 

 cipher, or at most by a few small bass weighing a few 

 ounces each. The verdict is that the bass are " played 

 out," or that the bait was not the proper one. It is tried 

 again and again, with the same result. But the catching 

 of a fine bass with a certain bait establishes a " sure 

 lure " until repeated failures with it afterward proclaim 

 that it must have been an accidental success only, And 

 so it often comes to be believed that the bass is capricious 

 and changeful as to his food, requiring crayfish to-day, 

 perhaps, helgramite to-morrow, and frog or minnow 

 next day, a creature of dietetic idiosyncrasies. Is it 

 really true of him ? 



Perhaps there is nothing more disappointing than 

 black bass fishing in Eastern waters generally. But then 

 the healthfulness and moral discipline of it. 



Meanwhile news items continually record fine catches 

 of bass, and these are looked upon by the unsuccessful 

 angler as lures thrown out by the fishing tackle dealers 

 and others interested. Are they ? 



The writer has been in a position to notice the pecu- 

 liarities and success of the anglers of a great city and 

 he has observed that among them all there are very few 

 who always bring home a fine bass or two. Of course 

 there are always insinuations that they were caught in 

 the live box of some local pot-hunter. But the writer, 

 noticiug the methods of the fishermen, can provide a 

 fair and reasonable hypothesis for such success. 



To begin with, the black bass is the most wary of 

 fishes. There is none more cautious and suspicious, and 

 when it is caught it is laboring under a delusion, or is 

 bordering on starvation. Its time of feeding is generally 

 early morning, or late in the afternoon, or evening, and 

 so the general run of bass fishermen arrive after he is 

 gorged to repletion, and leave before he is ready to take 

 his evening meal. Stand by the margin of a river or 

 pond inhabited by bass as the sun sinks behind the 

 horizon. Listen to the splash of the schools of minnows 

 as they rush for the shallows, or among the reeds and 

 splatterdocks, to escape the voracious fellows. And novr 

 it is you see the country boy— for he knows it well — 

 with birch and rod and twine line and minnow bait, or 

 perhaps a bob of worms, sneak cautiously behind the 

 reeds and splatters, although it may be twilight, and 

 gently cast his bait out into the clear water beyond the 

 plant line. Now there is no glint of sunshine to show the 

 line, and greedily darting after food, the erstwhile wary 

 fellow, seeing nothing to arouse his suspicion, the bait is 

 taken, and with a rush which bends the supple beech 

 rod like a bow, but which fails its purpose, he meets his 

 doom. 



About the break of day, too, while the city man is 

 settling himself for another nap, the Avily countryman is 

 beguiling the wary bass from the shadows of the reeds 

 or rocks, and whether with worms, frogs, crawfish or 

 minnow, he is generally rewarded. So much for humor- 

 ing this apparent idiosyncrasy of the baas— offering him 

 food when he wants it. 



The average angler for black bass in Eastern rivers 

 might as well, apparently, drop his hook in the gutter in 

 his back alley but for the glory of the outine:, the change 

 of scene, the distribution of wealth, etc. He arrives at 

 his fishing point at 8 o'clock, perhaps, if he is an early 

 bird. The bass have gorged themselves and are lying 

 placidly in the deeper pools among the rocks or plants. 

 Suppose there is a fine clump of rocks in mid stream 

 with a deep pool below, washed out by the swirl of the 

 current around the rocks, and our fisherman makes for 

 it. His boat bumps against the rock, and the chain 

 rattles as he puts the anchor out or makes the boat fast. 

 He stands boldly up on the rock, fixes his minnow pail, 

 lunch-basket, liquid refreshment, and other accessories, 

 and prepares his tackle with perfect disregard of the 

 possible presence of bass, and throwing his line out 

 boldly he proceeds to fisb. And he fishes, and fishes, 

 and fishes. And the bass may be imagined down there 

 in the limpid depths, standing on their tails occasionally, 

 with their thumbs to their noses— so to speak— and 

 gracefully wiggling their respects. 



But the true angler— the real old " Izaak Walton " of 

 a fisherman — how does he go about it ? 



Supposing that the morning or evening fishing is im- 

 possible to him, his approach to the rock would be with 

 muffled oars. Not a jar, not a clink, not a shadow would 

 disturb the denizens of the depths beneath. With all 

 the arts of a "Pathfinder" in woodcraft, every souud 

 would be subdued, every movement studied. When the 

 long and carefully stained gut leader is dropped into the 

 pool it is in such a way that no shadow of the rod falls 

 on its surface, and so lightly does it drop that it might 

 be a fly alighting on the water. And then should it 

 happen that a large or greedy bass, not yet satiated, 

 espies the tempting lure, hearing or seeing nothing 

 to arouse its suspicions, it becomes an easy prey. 



And this is angling. But then how many would be 

 content to sit, like the typical stork, on one leg, patiently 

 waiting for the expectant nibble. One may shout and 

 sing and still catch the " sunnys " and " catties," and the 

 fresh air, the scent of lilies and the woods, the twitter of 

 birds, the clatter of the kingfisher, the buzz of insects, 

 and the many sounds and odors that make life sweet in 

 the open air. 



And one may hang idly over the rocks, or the side of a 

 boat, and peering down into the pellucid depths may 

 witness many episodes of life beneath the waters, and 

 may think or dream, and let one's soul loaf, as Walt 

 Whitman puts it. 



It should be said that in the pond or lake the con- 

 ditions are somewhat different from those of the river, in 

 that there are no currents, nor rocks, nor deeper pools 

 where the bass may hide, and so they wander more as 

 their food becomes scarce or shy, or other disturbing 

 influences exist. 



The writer will not insist that his interpretation of 



the observations recorded above is the true one, or will 

 satisfactorily account for the apparent capriciousness of 

 the bass. There are many who will refuse to recognize 

 their lack of patience and skill in angling, and who 

 will always insist that the bass is a creature of prejudices 

 and idiosyncrasies ; but, to the writer, the pithy utter- 

 ance of Williard Nye, regarding the striped bass, in 

 Forest and Stream of July 10, about covers the ground; 

 "You see, a bass after traveling around some, or in 

 other words one that will weigh SOlbs., has got the decep- 

 tive ways of the world down to a very fine point, 

 and when you start out to catch him, things have got to 

 be about right, or he shows a lack of interest in hook 

 coverings which is truly discouraging." PHOCA. 



THE HELGRAMITE. 



r pHE helgramite fly (Corydalus cornutus) is the largest 

 X of our nerve- winged insects; the angler is more 

 familiar with its. larval condition. The eggs are deposited 

 in early summer on leaves of various trees and vines over- 

 hanging running streams. They are covered with a 

 white, albuminous secretion in a mass nearly an inch in 

 length, and containing from 2,000 to 3,000 eggs. The 

 egg is about one-nineteenth of an inch long and one- 

 third as wide. The young crawl from under the mass 

 and leave the envelope intact; they hatch simultaneously 



the helgramite (Corydalus cornutus). 



in the night. The young larvse crawl readily upon dry 

 surfaces and live for a day or more out of the water. 

 The species is supposed to live three years in the larval 

 condition. 



Most aquatic larvae transform to the pupa state within 

 the water; but this larva quits the wafer when full fed, 

 and crawls about for days seeking a place wherein to 

 transform. It has two' rows of nine breathing holes 

 placed along the sides of the body, which enable it to 

 breathe out of water, and two sets of gills for breathing 

 in water. It feeds on other aquatic insects, such as the 

 larvaa of May flies and shad flies. It abounds in rapid 

 flowing streams with rocky bottom, upon which it moves 

 slowly about. 



After leaving the water, about the beginning of June, 

 it travels in the night, sometimes to distances of 100ft. 

 from its former habitat. At this season, also, it is used 



the pickerel frog 0'ana palustrls). 



(See Page 5.) 



as fish bait. In preparing for the pupa state the larva 

 burrows into the earth, where it forms an oval cell, or 

 hides under a stone, piece of wood, or other substance. 

 Here, in about two weeks, it casts its tough larval integu- 

 ment and assumes a curved form and position in its cell, 

 with the head, wing-pads and legs deflexed on the breast. 

 The color is yellow with traces of brown mottling of the 

 larva. The breathing holes are more conspicuous, and 

 the upper jaws stronger and olive green. The pupa 

 state lasts for days and the perfect insect issues during 

 the month of July. It is nocturnal in habit and hides 

 for the most part in obscure places during the day. At 

 this time it is sluggish and if approached will drop sooner 

 than fly, or raise its head and abdomen, and open its jaws 

 threateningly. The foregoing account is derived from 

 the writings of Prof. Riley, particularly his Reports on 

 Missouri Entomology. 



Among the many names bestowed upon this favorite 

 bait of the black bass are the following: Alligator, angle 

 dog, bloomer, bogart, clipper, cobbler, crawler, devil 

 catcher, dobson, dragon, go devil, goggle goy, hell driver, 

 hojack, klugmite, stone crab, stone devil and water 

 grampus. The name bogart, Mr. Henry C. Ford tells us, 

 is in use on the headwaters of the Delaware. It is old 

 Dutch for ghost and came with Dutch settlers from New 

 York. 



BASS OF THE TIPPECANOE. 



IT may be remembered that a few weeks ago I spoke of 

 the bass fishing trip on the Tippecanoe River, Indiana, 

 wmich had been planned by Mr. Donald and Mr. Levings, 

 of the C. & A., and Mr. Burton, who invited me to go 

 along, when I couldn't go. Behold how all things come 

 around to people who have luck! High water and other 

 causes delayed the trip these gentlemen had planned, 

 and one day last week the writer got a peremptory sum- 

 mons to be on hand that evening for the eastbound Erie 

 express, with rods, creel and the appurtenances there- 

 unto belonging; for that the official car of the Chicago 

 & Atlantic was going fishing. Under the circumstances, 

 1 felt that my health required my absence from the city, 

 and I was accordingly on hand that evening. 



Now, these railroad men never get to a train until just 

 half a minute before it starts, and on my arrival I found 

 nobody there. The Erie express never carrries any pas- 

 sengers, but is a sealed through train, and therefore does 

 not back kown to the gates at the station, but starts out 

 from the far end of the depot. It only carries through 

 baggage, like diamonds and mail, and officials who are 

 going fishing. I knew all this, but I did not know where 

 that particular train was in the vast and noisy arcade. I 

 waited till I only had about three minutes left and then, 



thinking the party had perhaps gone aboard the car I 

 hastened down the tracks, and by mere accident stumbled 

 on the car and went aboard, just a moment ahead of 

 time. Meantime the rest of the party were frantically 

 running through the waiting rooms and trying to find that 

 Forest and Stream man. At the last instant they came 

 on board, perspiring and swearing, and disturbed a pleas- 

 ant conversation I was having with Scott, the colored 

 cook. I was sorry that they came, for the conductor and 

 I had it all fixed up, that if the general passenger agent 

 and the chief engineer did not show up in a couple of 

 hours or so, we would have to go without them; and I 

 wish I may die if I wouldn't have side-tracked the car at 

 the fishing place, and gone fishing by myself in the C. & 

 A. official car, drawn by the Erie express! I shall always 

 regret that as one of the few opportunities of my life that 

 I ever let get away from me. That would have been a 

 fishing trip for you ! 



" Well, you're a pretty fellow!" said Charlie Burton, as 

 he took a swipe at himself with his scarlet handkerchief. 



" That's what I think of you," said I. " You come 

 fooling around here at the last minute and spoil all my 

 fun. Why couldn't you let me go on down with the 

 car?" Then we explained a little and took something 

 cool, and by that time we were flying. The car in ques- 

 tion was not the old Fredonia, which at present is at the 

 shops being overhauled, but another special car, which 

 was just lettered plain "113." It was arranged with 

 equal comfort and luxury. "This is the only way on earth 

 to go a fishimg ! " sighed Charlie Willard, as he sank into 

 an easy chair and asked for another lemonade; and all 

 present save the hosts murmured "Yea, verily." 



The party as now represented comprised Mr. Donald. 

 Mr. Burton, Mr. Willard, superintendent of the Standard 

 Cartridge Co., Mr. C. E. Chapin, musical and dramatic 

 critic of the Chicago Herald, and the writer. Mr. Chas. 

 Levings, chief engineer of the C. & A., came aboard at 

 Englewood suburb, and to him as pilot was turned over 

 the chief engineering of the trip, he being familiar with 

 the country in question. 



The heat at Chicago had for four days been terrible, 

 but as we began to roll at full speed through the open 

 country a delightful breeze swept through the car and 

 brought forth expressions of a comfort such as had not been 

 felt for days. At midnight we were at anchor at Leiter's 

 Station. It was then raining and the air was pleasant. 



In the morning Scott had a breakfast which alone could 

 atone for an hour lost from the morning fishing. The 

 day promised warmth, and no one got in a hurry, but 

 donned his fishing clothes in a leisurely way. And such 

 clothes! Mr. Levings had advised the party that the best 

 way was just to wear old clothing and wade right in. 

 He set the example by appearing in a pair of corduroy 

 trousers — date of the early Renaissance. Mr. Donald 

 wore his celebrated smile and a pair of trousers that were 

 a dead ringer to Mr. Levings's, barring certain irregular 

 apertures torn by the tooth of many years. Charlie 

 Willard rejoiced in a pair of leather shoes and a South 

 Clark street fall suit. Charlie Burton wore overshoes, 

 tied on with white Manilla rope, and also one of those 

 things they call an umbrella hat. On the whole, Charlie 

 Burton attracted more attention than anybody. The 

 little native boys looked at him with awe, and some of 

 them whispered "He's the human parashoot, that feller. 

 He's going to make a 'scursion on the Fourth over to 

 North Judson." Mr. Chapin, whom years of conscientious 

 and successful work at his trying prof ession had left with 

 the newspaper man's heritage of broken health, and who 

 was still m his physician's hands while in Chicago, now 

 forgot his doctor and appeared on the scene, ready for an 

 all-day submersion, in a plain two-piece Coney Island 

 costume, whose simplicity was its chief recommendation. 



In tackle there was also a pleasing variety and much 

 discussion. "Gimme one of them brown cackle flies," 

 said Charlie Willard. "It looks something a mouse, and 

 I've heard that's good for bass." 



"Yes," said Charlie Burton, "you just take that, and 

 sort of give a squeal every time you cast it, and you'll 

 fool the bass, sure." 



It was finally decided by the majority to begin the day 

 with minnow bait, and to fall back on the fly if the bass 

 were rising at all. For myself, I.started out with the 

 fly-rod at once, with the mental reservation that I might 

 possibly fall back on the car for my bait rod if the bass 

 would not take the fly. Mr. Levings sent me higher up 

 the stream, and the rest of the party went below. 



The Tippecanoe River we found to be as near an ideal 

 angling stream as any in which an angler ever set foot. 

 Perhaps 200ft. broad, rocky, swift, rippling, murmuring, 

 green-banked and clear as crystal, it was truly a lovely 

 water if ever there was one. Although so wide it was 

 rarely deeper than one could wade, and could be well 

 fished with ordinary hip boots as waders. The bass of 

 this stream were reported to run seldom over a pound, 

 but to be free and gamy fighters. We hoped that they 

 would take the fly, though it was now getting well into 

 the summer, and the weather had of late been oppres- 

 sively warm. 



With all hope that I might at length have what I had 

 long sought, some good fly-fishing at bass, and with a 

 prayer that so perfect a stream might lack no detail to 

 give it any but a pleasant memory, I strode in over the 

 gravelly bottom and looked the water over. Out of the hard 

 and sandy bottom I found a heavy growth of grass grow- 

 ing up, nearly the width of the stream, except where the 

 swifter channels cut through. The whole stream was a 

 vast natural breeding and protection ground, and it was 

 plain there must be bass there. And soon I saw them, 

 running out for the middle of the stream. 



Following the canons, I tied on, for this bright water, 

 rather a small and dark cast — Montreal, Gov.-Alvord and 

 March-brown. Hard and faithfully I fished till after ten 

 o'clock, when I came up with the bait party, who had 

 caught their minnows and were at work. Not one of the 

 party had a fish. Again we separated, they going on 

 down and I lingering along a deep and grassy stretch of 

 this beautiful stream. I had tried all the rocky riffles 

 without a rise, though I had seen numbers of bass around 

 old loga or roots where I could not well get at them. At 

 the edge of this grassy stretch I cast, and got a run of 

 what I thought was a rook bass. 



"Oho! I'll fix you, Mr. Fish," said I, remembering a 

 discovered fondness for yellow among the small Percidae. 

 And so I tied on a big and gaudy Ferguson for tail fly, 

 with a small professor next, and then a grizzly-king for 

 luck. I cast twice more and got a very lively and very 

 little rock bass on the big Ferguson, but I noticed several 



