192 
THE BLACK BASSE. 
collected on their feeding grounds, in August aud the subse- 
quent fall months, they are sometimes taken in considerable 
numbors. The usual mode of angling for them at this time, 
is either with or without a float, and with live bait — a small 
fish taken for the purpose, along the lake shores or in brooks. 
They are exceedingly strong and active— qualities which 
delight the angler. When first hooked, they ran very wild, 
and almost invariably rise to the surface, aud leap one, two, 
and even three feet in the air, shaking the head violently, 
evidently with a view to dislodge the fatal hook. Frequently, 
while making then- runs, they will suddenly turn aud come 
with all their power directly towards their enemy, and by 
thus slacking the line, will succeed in shaking the hook loose: 
this often happens with unexperienced fishermen, but more 
rarely with the angler who holds a good reel and winds 
rapidly. The most beautiful mode of angling fur them 
known, is trolling either with live bait or an artificial fly of 
large sizo and gay appearance. The writer has succeeded 
remarkably well with a fly made on a large-sized Limerick 
hook, such as are used for striped basse when fisliing with 
crab bait. The fly is made as follows Body of a peacock 
feather , wings of bright scarlet kerseymere and white pigeon 
feathers ; or, the feather stopped from a white goose-quill, 
and wound round like the hackle, and surmounted with tliiu 
strips of scarlet forwings. For trolling pleasantly aud com- 
fortably, the angler should provide a moveable scat, which 
he can place across the gunwale of his boat, in order that he 
may sit with his back to 1 the oarsman, aud facing the stern. 
Hhus ho will have full command of his rod aud line, aud not 
he sitting in tho cramping attitude which the lowness of the 
seats would cause. He should reel oft fifty to sixty, or oven 
one hundred or more feet of line, and on going over shallow 
reefs of seven or eight feet depth, two hundred feet, us the 
fish feeding on the reefs usually dart aside as the bout passes. 
