ToRESTANDbTRE^ 
Pikc-Orcno 
A deep traveling, wobbling bait, designed 
for pike. Also a sure muskie-getter 
414 inch long. 10 colors. 
Musk- 
Oreno 
A super-strong wobbling bait for muskie = 
or pike. For casting or trolling. Wz = 
inch. 14 colors. 
Surf-Oreno 
A surface bait for casting for muskie or 
pike. 3 V 4 inch. 13 colors. Spinners at 
fore and rear end. 
Bucktail 
Gang Spoon 
A popular trolling 
lure. Consists of 
connected hooks 
masked by buck- 
tail. Natural 
or white. 
Battling a muskie, pike or pickerel takes 
tackle that’s “been there.” The above lures 
have countless record catches to their credit. 
They’re proven fish-getters and should be 
in every angler’s tackle box. 
Ask for them at all live sporting 
goods dealers. 
^ A postal brings “Fishing — 
^ What Baits and When,” to 
you FREE! Every angler 
should have it. 
QUALITY TACKLE) 
this booklet 
SOUTH BEND 
■o A T nn 10220 High Street 
X South Eendjnd. 
BLACK BASS IN LOUISIANA 
Dear Forest and Stream : 
I AM enclosing a letter to me from my 
friend J. L. Phillips, who is a veteran 
fly-fisher for bass. You have published 
articles by him on grayling fishing in 
Montana and one on Caddo Lake, Texas. 
James A. Henshall. 
Dear Dr. Henshall: 
My old friend Poland and I have had 
an engagement for more than a year to 
go over on Grover river up in Okla- 
homa, but rain has broken it up; last 
year it rained all the month of May 
and a big part of June, so we had to 
abandon the idea altogether. 
This spring we had our trigger set 
for the first of May for a start, but it 
rained so we couldn’t go, then we set 
the first of June and as it held up rain- 
ing for about a w'eek, Poland wired me 
to come. I took the train as advised, 
and on my arrival at Ardmore, the rain 
came there, too. To make it short I 
visited my friends (in the house) for a 
few days and had to return without any 
fishing. My good old friend was almost 
sick over the disappointment. Such is 
the life of a fisherman. 
When I arrived at home I found on 
my desk a letter from Mr. Pat. Hymel 
saying “the water is fine and the fishing 
good” down in Louisiana and especially 
at Lake Misere. 
After cleaning my desk I wired for a 
place to be held for me and in a day or so 
left for Louisiana to see if the rain would 
run me out of there also. I reached the 
lake in the afternoon about 5 o’clock, 
too tired to fish, but rested up for an 
early start the next morning. I was 
called at four so as to have a good hot 
breakfast before going out for the day. 
Five o’clock found me seated in a motor 
boat ready to run to the far side of Lake 
Misere so as to fish towards camp all the 
time. I had a most excellent boatman 
to handle the boat for me as well as 
net the fish and talk every time he got 
a chance ; however, he proved to be an 
artist and only had to be told about any- 
thing just one time. 
Tn addition to the motor boat we 
trailed a small rowboat just big enough 
for two and by having it managed by a 
paddle, we eased noiselessly about and 
gained the very best of sport. 
The first day was not good nor was 
it pleasant to be on the water, as the 
atmosphere was heavily loaded with 
moisture and distant thunder made me 
believe I was sure to have the rain fol- 
low me ; however, it did not come until 
after supper and then cooled things off 
a hit and gave me a fine night’s sleep. 
My catch for the first day was 23 bass. 
The morning found me ready for an- 
other try, and strangely, the water of the 
lake showed no change whatever after 
the hard- rain during the night. I fished 
practically the same part of the lake the 
second morning and afternoon and 
rounded the day out with 32 bass. The 
next day I took 39. The last day of my 
stay was the best of all, giving me a 
catch of 64 fine bass. 
Each day seemed to improve the sport 
and I should have given quite a good 
deal to have spent as much time as I 
should have liked, but the fishing has 
come in so late and with business de- 
mands so strong on me, I couldn’t use 
more than a week ; four days for sport 
and traveling used up the rest. 
I found Lake Misere the same beauti- 
ful little body of water, clear cold 
springs keeping it in the pink of condi- 
tion. I had opportunity to examine it 
-this time and I must say I found it just 
as represented by my good friend and 
fellow fisherman, John Van Zandt, of 
Dallas, Texas. 
I want to mention some of the things 
I missed finding. I never saw a turtle 
of any description on the lake and I 
never saw or heard a frog (bull) while 
there. 
I have heard all my life that heavy 
thunder scared bass and other fishes so 
that they hid out and would not bite, 
but it made no difference whatever on 
this little lake. I have also known for 
many years that it is fatal to a fisher- 
man to fish from any position wherein 
the shadow of his body and rod is 
thrown on the water, but I found that it 
made not the least difference with 
Misere bass. 
I saw at least half a dozen alligators, 
one or two looked to be about 10 feet 
long; they moved about us and seemed 
not frightened nor meddlesome. Such 
sights took me away back when I used 
to fish with my old friend Amory R. 
Starr, on Caddo Lake, where we saw 
alligators every day. Of course, the time 
I refer to was before the advent of the 
city chap with the motor boat and the 
high-powered rifle. Lake Misere seems 
to he the home of the big-mouth bass, 
but there are some crappie about the 
size of your hand. My boatman told 
me no one ever saw them any larger in 
the lake. I was much surprised to find 
the lake full of mullet. I saw schools 
containing millions of that fish ; I guess 
they are food for the bass, as there are 
no shrimp nor can any minnows be 
caught for bait in the lake. 
In the total amount of fish taken were 
three bass weighing three pounds, two 
weighing 2j4 pounds, eleven weighing 
2)Z pounds and 27 weighing 2 pounds, 
balance smaller. Some of the little cur- 
few class, of course, not weighing as 
much as half a pound, but what a show 
for bravery and curiosity the little fel- 
lows possess. 
I used my old Abbey & Imbrie fly-rod, 
weighing 6 ounces, and I want to tell 
you frankly it was not a fraction of an 
ounce too heavy; some of those bass 
weighing two and two and a half pounds 
gave the old rod all it wanted and at 
times it looked as if the tip would kiss 
the rim of the reel when trying to pre- 
vent one of the bass from getting under 
the boat. There is absolutely nothing 
lin the shape of a log, tree, grass, nor 
anything to act as cover for a bass when 
hooked at the edge of the lake, so when 
jmu keep him from cover of the grass 
at the edge he naturally turns to the 
deeper water and invariably does his 
best to get under the boat. I didn’t 
,/w Writing to Advertisers mention Forest and Stream. It will identify you. 
T 
