3tfU 
ferns and mosses that grow on the bank beside his native ele- 
ment. We are constrained to say that a most merciless criti- 
cism fails to detect any real defect in this beautiful painting, 
which has been subjected to severe and protracted criticism 
by connoisseurs. The coloring and markings, natural sheeD, 
firmness of texture, pose and technical characteristics, are all 
true to life and nature. The folds of the lauding net, and the 
tension of that portion of it on which the fish rests, are 
most truthfully delineated. The surrounding ferns are a 
pretty embellishment. 
The greatest obstacle to instant approval and impulsive ad- 
miration of any trout painting which has superior merit lies 
in the fuel that trout are a hackneyed study. Every tyro 
makes his maiden effort on this particular fish. Trout are 
served in every possible attitude, with every degree of merit 
or default, and so many crudities meet the eye constantly in 
print shops, publications and studios, that the mind becomes 
formulated to adverse criticism before it has scarcely given a 
glance at the work. It is a triumph to an artist if hiB labor 
wins approval in spite of habit or prejudice, and can operate 
favorable upon n mind which has been negatived, so to speak. 
Novelty of subject or its treatment often so engages the interest 
of the examiner as to blind his eye to blemishes or defects ; 
but there is no novelty, certainly, in paintings of trout. We 
commend Mr. Wiseman to the favorable consideration of 
geutlemen who may wish to test his capabilities in animal, 
fish or fruit portraiture. Mr. Wiseman makes a specialty of 
dog portraits. His studio is at New Haven, Conn., room 87, 
HoaJley’s Building. Mr. Wiseman has on exhibition at the 
Academy of Design, in this city, a group of brook trout, with 
basket, etc., and also a group of young terriers, with a cat 
thrown in for variety and embellishment. 
PRACTICAL LESSONS ON BASS FISH- 
ING— No 3. 
[We arc pleased to receive from our obliging correspondent 
a continuation of his series of letters on bass fishing. With 
the exception of this writer and Dr. Henshall, few gentlemen 
have attempted to instruct in the modes of angling for this 
species of fish. The school is altogether a new one, and there 
are hundreds of our readers who feel themselves under great 
obligations to them. We have received many letters begging 
for more light on the subject.— Ed. F. and S.] 
Chioago, May 20, 1878. 
Editor Forest and Stream : 
Now for that bass. I have hovered about him a long time; 
now inclined to rush in aDd finish him, and now held back by 
the pleasure of anticipation ; but here i9 an end of dreuming. 
Now, boatman, row 9lowly aloDg the windward of that sunken 
bar, and, my IrieDd, custyour bait over it. Very well done 
for a beginner ; you have got out about forty-six leet of line ; 
let your bull sink. No bite ? Well, red in slowly for another 
cast. Ah! what's that? something has struck your hook. 
Dou’t pull your bait away from him ; let him fumble with it a 
little. Now your line begins to walk off like a thing of life ; 
let it'go a little while. Now, strike him gently, not hard, but 
just enough to set the hook and let him know that somebody 
nas got hold of your end of the liue. Commence to reel in 
and find out what he is. Ah, there he goes with a rush, and 
the line cuts the water with a swish. Thai's a bass, sure ; no 
pickerel blood in him. What are you clinging to the handle 
of that reel for ? Drop it quick or something will break. 
Place your thumb upon the spool and make the pulling hard 
for him. The hard pulling tells on him and he turns 
back. Now reel him in while he is getting his breath. There 
he goes way off to tbe left; let him slide, but keep a tight rein 
on him with jour thumb, und be quick with your reel if he 
turns in. Your line suddenly rises toward the surface of the 
water; be careful now, be is goiDg to jump. There, be 
breaks tbe water seventy-five feet away and fiings himself 
high into the air, and shakes his head angry at the bit. By 
Jove 1 he's a beauty, and we must have him. This is a criti- 
cal rnomeut. If the line slacks when he is in the air he will 
probably throw the hook from bis mouth like a flash, and tlap 
his tail at you as he goes down aud uway, but we will spoil 
that game. The moment he breaks the water, with a quick 
turn of the wri.it bring tbe tip of the rod down near tbe 
water and back, keeping the line tight. This tips him over as 
he leaves the water, and stops the head shaking business. It 
also makes him ugly aud he rushes viciously off, und now his 
blood is up and he means to break your liue. What savage, 
short lunges! What are you about with your rod pointiug 
straight at the fish aud the atraiu of the line coming directly 
on the reel ? Hold it up at once and give the line the benefit 
of the spring of the rod. Now, let your rod and line get into 
a straight line, or near it. See where your bass is goiDg now 1 
Straight for that stump. If he gets around it he'll get a pur- 
chase on your line and be off, sure. You’ve got to risk your 
line now. Dou't try to stop him suddenly, but bringyour rod 
round to tbe right, while you press heavily on the reel, and 
you will turn him to another d ruction. Now, Mr. Friend 
(who is along), you just keep still ; I'm catchmg this fish, ond 
you've confuted my scholar enough already with your “Hold 
on to him," “ Let him go," “Look out for him,” “Stop him," 
“Give him the bat," etc. Where's your bass now, and what 
makes your line so Black ? Think lie’s off, do you ? He's 
running in on you. Throw your tip back ns quick and far as 
you can, and reel in the best you know how, and find that 
fish. It is ^miracle that he is not off already, and if I had not 
determineef to catch him you would have lost him right here. 
Now you've caught up with him, and there he goes straight 
under the boat like a shot. Run your tip round the end of 
the boat, quick. There he is out ol the water again, and with 
a slack line. What’s the matter with your reel? Ah, I see. 
You've got the line all bunched on the centre of the spool, bo 
that you can't work the reel. You should guide it buck and 
forth with your left thumb when reeling so that it will wind 
evenly. Now you have done it. You’ve let the ba6s get 
among those rushes, and he has got your line wound and 
twisted all about among them. Boatman, row straight after 
him while we take up the line and drive or lead him out ou 
the other side. Now he is pretty tired and we will take him 
in. Keel him in to within about eight feet of your tip (don't 
reel him plumb up to the tip as I’ve seen lots of young fish- 
ermen do), and hold him there. He makes short plunges 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
this way and that and to the bottom, but bis force is most y 
spent, and you can control him with your rod without giving 
him more line. Lead him gently up to the boat while your 
friend stands ready with the landing net. Wbat, in heaven s 
name, are you divmg the net at him in that savage ’way lor 
Do you want to scare him to death? He nearly parted tne 
line with that rush Lower the net gently aud take him in 
os be comes alongside. There now, confound you . aid you 
expect to take him in by the tail ? Give that net to the boat- 
man. Now he walks right into the net as if he was happy 
to find a resting place, and he lies panting in the bottom of 
the boat. He has fought liis last fight, and fought it well. 
Isn’t he a beauty? What do I think be weighs ? Well, say 
4* pounds. You haven't got one of those abominable fisher- 
man's steel-yards along, have you? No? That’s right; 
never take one, they are horribly deceptive. Now, here is 
your bass that weighs 4^ pounds to an ounce ; you hang him 
to that thing ana it will tell you that he only weighs three 
pounds and ten ounces. Throw the nuisance away for ever, 
and renounce all faith in scales. I wouldn’t trust the finest 
“ Fairbanks ” where a fish is concerned. They may be good 
for weighing other things, but they were not made for fish, 
and are not adapted to weighing them correctly. If you are 
particular to know the weight of your fish, why just “ heft 
him, and you can tell at once. Don’t ask your boatman ; he 
is upt to be prejudiced, and likes to take the conceit out of 
you a little. At Green Lake, Wisconsin, if there is any doubt 
about the weight of a fish, they always refer the matter to 
G'apt. FitzgibboD, whose decision is always final. It isn't 
necessary for him even to “heft” him. The bass is laid 
down before him ; he just looks at him and marks down bis 
figure, and that is the end. I never knew any odo to appeal 
from his decision but once. Will Greenway aud Mr. Gee, of 
St, Louis, once brought in a whopping great green (Oswego) 
bass. (By the way, they had bought it from a pot- fisher, 
who took’it on a set-line— boys, you are both my friends, but 
you well deserve this punishment.) The royal fish was laid 
upon the hotel piazza and submitted to tbe inspection of tbe 
captain, who measured with his eye his length and breadth 
and depth and the size of his mouth, and pronounced his 
weight to be five pounds and six ounces. Will was dissatis- 
fied and appealed to the scales, and the scales sustained him. 
He turned the balance at exactly six pounds one ounce. The 
captain was crestfallen, and had nothing to say except that it 
was an almighty heavy fish for its size. His friends looked 
askance upon him, aud for the first and la9t time in my life I 
doubted bis infallibility. 
Several champagne punches were necessary to dispel the 
captain's gloom, aud several visits to the parlor to find a lady, 
for be was under a vow that year to drink nothing but wine, 
aDd that only in the presence of ladies. This Daturally con- 
fined him pretty close to the hotel, and we could rarely get 
him out fishing. In the evening it began to be whispered 
about that something was the matter with that fish, and final- 
ly an investigation of the servant who dressed him developed 
the astonishing fact that the bass had in some unaccountable 
manner managed to swallow just eleven ounces of shot. A 
dark cloud of suspicion at once rested upon Will and Joe, 
which, notwithstanding their protestations, finally resolved it- 
self into a settled conviction of guilt. The captain was tri- 
umphant, and his face remained wreathed with its usual smiles 
duriug the remainder of the season. My friend, we must part 
company here ; I cannot be with you longer in your sport. I 
trust that you will be successful aud carry home a goodly 
string of beauties ; and 1 hope that at some time I may meet 
you in friendly competition on tbe water. Buffer me to of- 
fer a parting word of advice : In fishing, be patient, and never 
lose your temper. When your line gets tangled and snarled 
on tbe reel, as it will at times, don’t get mad and swear at it; 
sit quietly down and pick it out. Don’t fume when your 
hook gels snagged. If your boat leaks, and your feet, and the 
lunch which you put in the box under the stern, get soaked, 
be calm. It it comes on to rain and you get drenched and 
your sport is spoiled, be philosophical; and generally be 
good natured. We all growl enough in our working hour9 
without indulging that side of our nature in our recreations. 
Now, good-bye. I have cut out a portion of this letter to 
gaiospacefor a few quiet words to “Bass." Dear Sir: In chaste 
language you advise me to “ take a tumble.” Your intention 
doubtless was kind and praiseworthy. Prompted by the gen- 
erous and genial soul of a true lover of tbe rod, you sought at 
once to purify the columns of the Forest and Stream and to 
give me a little kindly admonition in a deliente way. It may 
please you to know that your shot has reached its mark and 
checked for the present all desire to pursue my subject. I 
wrote, partly, thinking that I might say something of value 
to the inexperienced, but principally for the pleasure it af- 
forded me in recalling my own experiences. That pleasure 
has in great part given place to mortification at the result, and 
I have no heart for further writing, so that you and the 
“ united several" may once more eojoy your sleep in peace. 
My mortification does not result from any respect for the 
opinion of an anonymous writer, but from the fact that it was 
deemed worthy of publication. I do Dot propose to defend 
my letters, at least until I know the nature of the complaint 
against them. If it goes to their general nature or style, I am 
dumb. If the objection is to tbe expression of individual 
opinion in this valuable paper as to the comparative merits of 
different varieties of rod, reel, hook or line, et id omne genus, I 
have nothing to say, as that is a matter exclusively within the 
province of the editor. If fault is found with the opinions 
themselves, I might feel at liberty to support them. I ven- 
ture to hope that the subscription list of the Forest and 
Stream has not been materially cut down, or its reputation as 
a first-class gazetteer badly damaged, and that it may in time 
recover its lost prestige in your eyes and in those of the “ sev- 
eral ” who “ united,” etc. n r> 
G. C. 
Rational fflastitnqs. 
Harvard Atuletios. — T he spring meeting of the Harvard 
Athletic Association took place at Beacon Park, May 24. The 
contests were as follows : 
One hundred yard dash — The final heat was won by Mr. 
Bacon, class ’80, in 10»s. The one mile walk— Mr. Huide- 
k®P er ’ ’80, in 8m. The running broad jump — Mr. Keene, ’79. 
14 feet 8 in. The one mile run— Mr. llauks, ’79, 5m. 2>s. 
A hurdle race of 120 yards, over 10 hurdles, 3 feet Gin. high— 
•an' . °“^ in ia ^i 8 - The quarter mile run— Mr. Bacon, 
ou, in G4s. The potato race— Mr. Austin, '80. The three- 
legged race, 100 yards-Messrs. Otis and Holden, ’81, in 14*3. 
Ibe bicycle race, two miles, fivestarters-»-Mr. Parker, '80, by 
four feet, in 12m. 27s. 
The Yam-Harvard Game.— T he result of the game 
played at Cambridge on Saturday last was a surprise to almost 
every one for in tbe previous game at New Haven the score 
was a close one. aud tbe game up to tbe end was anybody’s. 
About 4,000 spectators were present on Saturday, almost all 
of whom sported the Crimson, but it is said that during the 
eighth iDning a very large majority of the Harvard sympa- 
thizers, seeing that their nine bad no chance of winning, left 
the ground. Strong baUing won for the Yales on Saturday 
last, two home runs being made by Downer and one by 
Brown, while the total number of base hits was 27. The 
Harvard catcher was disabled by a broken thumb, and his 
place was filled by a substitute, who, although new to the 
position, stopped the balls manfully and well. 
This victory places Yale at the top of the list of contestants 
for the college championship, and if the Dine do as well in the 
coming contests as they have in those already played, the 
Blue stands a very good chance of coming out ahead at the 
end of the season. Score, Yale 11 ; Harvard 5. 
Trinity College Games.— T he games at Hartford, May 
25, resulted as follows : 
One Hundred Yards Daeh-Oheever, 10%a. 
Putting tbe Shot— Appleton 31ft 2in. 
One Mile Walk- Webster, 8m 46*8. 
Running Broad Jump— Campbell, 20ft 11m. 
Half-Mile Run— Russell, 2m 33>^». 
Three-Legged Race— Campbell and Wilcox, 16>$8, distance 100 
ya Four Hundred and Forty Yards Dash— Appleton, 2m 68a. 
Running High Jump— Rueaell, 6ft. 
Three Mile Walk— Webster, 36m >£s. 
Throwing the Hammer— McBride, 68ft 8m. 
Hurdle Race— 100 yards, Wilcox, I8*s. 
Standing Long Jump— Nelson, 9ft 5>$iD. 
Wheelbarrow Raoe— Blindfolded, Kueelond. 
One Milo Run — Nelson, 5m 57*s. 
Pole Vaulting— Parsons, 8ft 10>^in. 
Sack Race— 100 yards, Campbell, 24s. 
Two Hundred and Twenty Yards Dash— Cheever, 25>^s. 
New York College Athletio Club.— A t the annual field 
day, Jones’ Wood, last Saturday, the oontests were as follows: 
One Hundred Yards Dash— First heat, three entries, Emmons 
won in llj^e. Second beat, three entries. Stuart won In 10^4 s. 
Third heat, three entries, Parker won in 10>^e. Final heat, 8luart 
10 L. 
One Mile Walk— Nine entries, D Smith, Jr, won in 8m 67s. 
Qaarter Milo Ron— First heat, three entries, Baloomb, 60s. 8eo- 
ond heat, four entries, Callister, 65s. Third heat, two entries, 
Webster, 67s. Final heat, Oallistcr, lm 2s. 
Running Long Jump— Won by Stuart, 17ft llj^in. 
Five Miles Walk— Watson won in 11m 4><js. 
Half-Mile Run — Won by Bomeisler in 2m 22s. 
Tug of War— Freshmen vanquished Seniors. 
Two Hundred and Twenty Yards Run— Parker won in 26s. 
Mystio Boat Club Games.— T he games at Waverly Park, 
N. J., last Saturday, were well attended, the results being as 
follows : 
One Hundred Yards Dash — First heat, three entries, A F Moore, 
Jr, aud Q W Thomas made a dead heat in 10%s. Second heat, 
live entries, J B Value, 10*s. Th'rd heat, three entries, R Zohnor, 
ll%e. Fourth heat, three entries, E Boussard. lOJ^e. Fifth beat, 
three entries, W M Littell, 11s. Fiual heat, Value, 10a. 
Ruuning High Jump— Five entries, won by H E Ficken, N Y A O, 
6ft 6iu. 
Four Hundred and Forty Yards Ruu— Four entries, W Smith 
handioapped eighteen yards, won in lm 63s. 
Hurdle Raoe— 220 yards, won by J Lafon. Not timed. 
One Mile Walk— O D Parmly won in 8m 45s. 
Two Hundred aud Twenty Yards Club Race— Wm C Casper won. 
One Milo Run — A Noel wod in 6m 5s. 
“Special" One Hundred and Fifty Yards Ruu — W C Wilmer 
won in 15>£s. 
Half-Mile Run— J Steward, of Princeton, handicapped twonty- 
eight yards, won in 2m 
Two Mile Relay Race — The New York Lacrosse Club had a walk- 
over, Princeton College and the Mystic Boat Club failing to come 
to time. 
University of Pennsylvania. — T he annual spring meet- 
ing at the Germantown Cricket Grounds, last Saturday, bad 
seventeen events, with the following successful competitors : 
One Mile Walk — W N Johnson, '78. 9m 23s. 
Hanning High Jump — Q L Hoios, '81, 5ft l%in. 
Four Hundred and Forty Yards Run— B Hughes, '80, lm 10%e. 
One Hundred Yards Dash— B Hughes, '80, lie. 
Putting the Shot (17 lbs) — W F Johnson, ’78, 30ft 2%in. 
Running Broad Jump— G Thayer, '81. 19ft 8in. 
Half-Mile Run— E A White, ’81, 2m 27*8. 
Pole Vaulting— F Harrah, ’80, 8ft 8iu. 
Two Hundred and Twenty Yards Dash— B Hughes, '80, 33*8. 
Graduates One Hundred Yards Run— H T Geylan, 11% s. 
Graduates One Mile Walk — James Bond, 10m 53s. 
Throwing the 16-pound Hammer— E S Mcllvaino, 69ft Oin. 
Two Mile Walk— E 8 Mollvaine. No timo. 
Hurdle Race, 120 yards — B Hughes, 19}s. 
One Mile Run — G Thayer, ’81, 5m 43s. 
Strangers One Hundred Yards Race— Eight entries, Horace 11 
Lee. P O 0, 10s, over a grass course, up bill and against tho 
wind. This is the fastest amateur record in the world. 
Tho tug of war between teams from the University of Pennsyl- 
vania and from tho Young America Cricket Club was won by the 
latter in 35s, 
Orions — The Orion Rowing and Athletic Association of 
Jersey City, will hold their second annual spring games at the 
West Side Driving Park, June 15, at 4 p.m. Gold and silver 
medals are offered for the usual athletic contests. Entries 
close June 8, and should be made to O. H. Taylor, Box 452, 
New York. 
Pennisular G'rioketJClub. — A game played by the Penin 
sulars, of Detroit, Mich., and the London, Ont., Club, at De- 
troit, May 24, resulted in a score of 93 for the former, and 82 
for the latter. 
Amrrioan Athletio Club.— T he inaugural games will be 
held at the St. George’s Cricket Grounds, Hoboken, June 8. 
Entries should be sent to S. W. Hong, P. O. Box 205, N. Y. 
Coaohing" Parade. —T he annual spring parade of the New 
York Coaching Club was participated in by eleven coaches. 
The parade attracted great multitudes of interested spectators, 
j and the occasion was in every way a successful one. 
