THE BLACK BASSE. 
191 
His capture is a leas easy task, and involves, or is supposed 
to involve, more science, and to be a truer proof of merit as 
an angler, than any other tenant of our crystal waters. But 
(let me whisper it in thy ear, my friend !) there is much of 
fancy in all this. He is a noble fish, and struggles vigorously 
and most pertinaciously for liberty ; but no art nor skill, unat* 
tainable by thee, or any one, is requisite to hook or draw 
him from his element. 
“ This fish beds in our streams and rivers, and probably, 
too, on the bars and shoals of our bay. Numbers run up the 
larger streams in May, and bite freely at the worm, in the 
middle and latter part of that month, in the Touawanda. Ilia 
appearance is too familiar to need description. His color 
varies, though it generally approaches black. I thiuk only 
the smaller basso run up the creeks. Those taken in Tona- 
wanda seldom overweigh two or two and a half pounds, and 
have a greenish hue. In the river they attain a weight of 
four and four and a half, and even five pounds ; and occasion- 
ally heavier ones have been taken, weighing even eight 
pounds. The river fish, when fresh from the water, is fre- 
quently banded, like the perch, with broad bars of a darker 
hue, which disappear, however, and fade into the general 
color of the fish ns he becomes dry. He seldom takes the 
hook, in the Niagara, until June. He is always fine eating, 
but is fattest and best in autumn.” 
He is angled lor in the usual way, and with the same ar- 
rangement of tacklo as the striped basse nr salmon; and with 
some enthusiastic western sportsmen, is thought to give more 
amusement than either. But the most active and exciting 
mode of pursuit is with the trolling rod and boat. Wc are 
indebted to a friend who has frequented Lake George, for the 
following interesting communication : 
“ This is a game fish, affording the angler the very highest 
enjoyment. These fish are taken iu various ways. When 
