398 
FOREST AND STREAM 
Sept. 28, 1912 
Reel Chat. 
I was glad to see Mr. Charles T. Hopkins' 
name signed to an article in the Forest and 
Stream of Sept. 7. 
In old times, in Scotland, the wood reel or 
pirn was sometimes attached to a belt around 
the waist of the angler, and I fancy that this 
might work fairly well. If one is killing heavy 
fish, he may have to follow them, or precede 
them, down stream, over rocks, through shal¬ 
low water or where the footing is anything 
but safe. With the great majority the reel will 
probably remain on the rod and it seems to 
me that there are very substantial reasons why 
this should be so. Yet I wish that I could see 
Mr. Hopkins using the method he prefers. 
There is nothing so satisfactory as a practical 
demonstration. One likes the reel placed just 
far enough from the end of the butt on fly-rods, 
so that the handle may be manipulated when 
said butt is pressed against the body, in playing 
a big fish. The conditions present in different 
regions vary considerably, as well as the size of 
the fish that are taken, and anglers have their 
own ways and methods of making the best of 
the situation, as they find it. Yet all are in¬ 
terested in anything that may improve sport. 
If you have been stripping in line, even if 
the coils are held in the fingers of the left hand 
and are not on the ground, and discover that 
you have hooked an immense trout, I fancy 
that it is best to get him on the reel as soon as 
it is convenient. You may have to go down 
stream with him several hundred yards. I have 
had a good many experiences of that sort, and 
a young friend hooked a four-pounder by the 
tail that carried him down a long distance. If 
the fish had taken the left side of an island, a 
smash would have been inevitable, on account 
of drift logs, but it chose the clear channel to 
the right. I wish that we had a moving picture 
of the whole performance. I have one of Mr. 
Hopkins’ flies for fishing in Florida, but have 
not had a chance to use it. Old salmon flies 
seemed to please the fish when I was there, but 
I could try something quite different now. 
Speaking of flies, the ants would have been on 
every day for two weeks, if the weather had 
been warm. Whenever they appeared in great 
numbers, a sudden fall in the temperature 
would cause their disapearance for several days. 
A few olives (ephemeridae) were out to-day. 
This interested me, as the small olive is not 
common on these waters. I thought that I 
had a very large specimen of the Stone fly, but 
yesterday a female came in at my window that 
outclassed it in size. They are very irregular 
here, a few appearing whenever the tempera¬ 
ture of air and water suits them. 
Theodore Gordon. 
It is time that we should have the option 
in buying American reels for fly-fishing of a 
silent or noisy check. The “click” mechanism 
on many reels is often annoying, as it is so 
strong that it screeches and advertises us over 
all the country side. 
Per contra; a cheap reel that I like very 
much has a spring made of common wire that 
is constantly breaking at the most inoppor¬ 
tune times. 
After having new springs put in twice, a 
favorite reel gave out when I was twenty miles 
from a railroad, and I have been obliged to 
use a fine old Abbey & Imbrie with a horrible 
harsh and noisy click. I brought two reels, but 
one was given to a friend and the other carries 
a finer line for softer rods. The tournament 
rod requires a heavy line, but is a very perfect 
weapon. Theodore Gordon. 
Luring the Hungerless Bass. 
Atlanta, Ga., Sept. 12. —Editor Forest and 
Stream: The question whether a black bass 
cannot be sometimes provoked into striking a 
lure, even though not hungry, was forever 
settled in my own mind by the following ex¬ 
perience. 
Our usual party was taking its annual out¬ 
ing on the Homosassa River in Florida. We 
met each noon at an appointed place for a fish 
fry, coffee and a short rest. At this point, the 
river curved against a shore of lime rock and, 
just beyond the edge of the channel, left a 
small pool of cool, well-shaded water about six 
feet deep. In approaching the point one day 
I saw in this pool a bass of some six or seven 
pounds in weight lying at rest. As it was mid¬ 
day and the bass were not feeding, I knew the 
pool was the private property of the old chap, 
who had evidently posted signs to keep off his 
grass. We saw him about the same hour sev¬ 
eral successive days, and then it occurred to 
me to find out what he would do if we worried 
. him. 
Along the water’s edge ran a thick fringe 
of cabbage palmetto. Retreating a short dis¬ 
tance, I carefully crawled back to the spot and 
selected an opening through which I could see 
the fish in the blue, clear water. He was some 
four feet distant and about three feet below 
the water’s surface. Fie was lying perfectly 
motionless with his head pointed somewhat 
downward. 
My guide cast the fly over and about two 
feet beyond him, and when it was drawn back 
it passed some two feet above him. He watched 
the fly intently from the moment it struck the 
water until it passed outside the range of vision, 
but evidently had no fear of it, for he did not 
turn to see what became of it. Two more casts 
were made with similar results—never a fin 
stirred. When the third cast struck beyond and 
in direct line over him, I called to Bob not to 
retrieve until I signalled. The fly slowly sank 
until it was slightly below and would probably 
touch him on the upward and backward move¬ 
ment. Then the call was given and the bass 
watched the approaching fly with an intentness 
so great that it was communicated to me. Just 
before it reached him he shifted his position a 
few inches to the left, sinking slightly deeper. 
Again Bob cast and allowed the fly to sink. 
This time the cast was to the side and the fly 
would not have touched him, but as it neared 
him the old devil literally gathered himself for 
a spring and then struck the fly with a ferocity 
that would have made a rattlesnake look like 
an embalmed angel. 
It was not hunger. He let the fly pass him 
several times without the slightest indication of 
interest and finally struck it for the purpose 
of killing the impudent invader of his domain 
and to restore a ruffled dignity. 
The experience gained equalled his life in 
value, and we put him back unharmed, but saw 
him no more. Chas. T. Hopkins. 
San Francisco Fly-Casting Club. 
The medal contests of the San 
Francisco 
Fly-Casting Club were 
held at Stow 
Lake on 
Saturday and 
Sunday, 
Sept. 14 and 15. . Wind 
was variable, weather cloudy. 
SATURDAY. 
Event No. 1, 
distance, 
feet: 
F. 
A. Webster . 
. 90 
T. F. Burgin .. 
. 92 
L. 
G. Burpee ... 
. 88 
Re-entry: 
F. 
A. W ebster . . 
. 86 
J. F. Burgin .. 
. 86 
Event No. 2, 
accuracy, j 
per cent: 
F. 
A. Webster . 
.98.40 
James Watt ... 
. 98 
L. 
<i. Burpee ... 
. 96.32 
J. F. Burgin.., 
. 99.12 
C. 
G. Y oung ... 
. 99.12 
Re-entry: 
C. 
G. Young ... 
.99.8 
F. A. Webster 
. 99.8 
C. 
G. Young ... 
. 98.40 
Event No. 3, 
delicacy. 
per cent: 
Accuracy. Delicacy. 
Net. 
F. 
A. Webster 
98.52 99 
98.56 
L. 
G. Burpee .. 
98.16 99 
98.38 
C. 
G. Young .. 
98.8 98.40 
98.24 
James Watt .... 
97.12 97.10 
97.11 
j. 
F. Burgin ... 
98.12 95.20 
96.46 
Re-entry: 
c. 
G. Young ., 
98.32 98.40 
98.36 
c. 
G. Young ... 
98.16 98.40 
98.28 
F. 
A. Webster .. 
99.16 98.20 
98.48 
Event No. 4, 
half-ounce 
lure casting, per 
cent: 
F. 
A. Webster . 
.97.6 
lames Watt .. 
.99.5 
L. 
G. Burpee .. 
.84.4 
J. F. Burgin ., 
. 98.5 
C. 
G. Young ... 
Re-entry: 
C. 
G. Young ... 
. 98.9 
F. A. Webster 
.97.9 
Event No. 5, half-ounce lure casting, average feet: 
F. A. Webster .135 James W att . 162 
L. G. Burpee . 68 J. F. Burgin . 136 
Re-entry: 
F. A. Webster .119 James Watt .163.4 
J. F. Burgin . 138 L. G. Burpee. 59 
Judges: James Watt, L. G. Burpee and C. G. 
Young; Clerk, E. O. Ritter. 
SUNDAY. 
Event No. 1, distance, feet: 
J. F. Burgin . 
... 97 
T. 
C. 
Kierulff .... 
. 101 
Re-entry: 
T. C. Kierulff . 
... 101 
T. 
C. 
Kierulff .... 
. 99 
T. C. Kierulff . 
... 103 
J. 
F. 
Burgin . 
. 82 
T. C. Kierulff . 
... 102 
J- 
F. 
Burgin . 
. 83 
Event No. 2, accuracy, 
per cent: 
Dr. W. E. Brooks.. 
. 98.32 
T. 
C. 
Kierulff .... 
... 99.20 
C. G. Young . 
. 98.44 
P. 
W. 
Shattuck .. 
... 97.20 
James Watt . 
. 97.56 
F. 
J- 
Cooper . 
... 98.16 
J. F. Burgin . 
. 99.12 
Re-entry: 
C. G. Young . 
. 99.16 
T. 
c. 
Kierulff ... 
... 98.48 
T. C. Kierulff . 
. 98.52 
T. 
c. 
Kierulff .... 
... 98.4 
Event No. 3, delicacy, per cent: 
Dr. W. E. Brooks .. 
Accuracy. 
. 98.44' 
Delicacy. 
99.50 
Net. 
99.17 
C. G. Young .. 
. 98.40 
98.40 
98.40 
Tames Watt . 
. 98.16 
98.50 
98.33 
T. F. Burgin . 
. 98 
97 
97.30 
T. C. Kierulff . 
. 99.28 
100 
99.44 
F. J. Cooper . 
. 98.8 
97.30 
97.49 
Re-entry: 
F. T. Cooper .. 
. 98.32 
98.10 
98.21 
C. G. Young .. 
. 98.32 
99.30 
99.1 
T. C. Kierulff . 
. 98.52 
99.50 
99.21 
T. C. Kierulff . 
. 99.8 
100 
99.34 
Event No. 4, half-ounce lure casting, per cent: 
Dr. W. E. Brooks ... 97 
T. 
F. Burgin . 
. 92.3 
C. G. Young .. 
. 99 
T. 
C. Kierulff . 
. 96.4 
James Watt .... 
. 98.2 
F. 
T. Cooper . 
. 96.7 
Re-entry: 
C. G. Young .. 
. 98.4 
T. 
C. Kierulff . 
. 97. S 
Event No. 5 
, half-ounce 
lure 
casting, average feet: 
James Watt .... 
. 167 
T. 
C. Kierulff . 
.. 121 
J. F. Burgin .. 
. 117 
F. 
J. Cooper . 
Re-entrv: 
F. J. Cooper .., 
T. C. Kierulff . 
. 151 
.126.4 
J. 
F. Burgin . 
.. 154 
Judges : 
C. G. Young, 
T. C. Kierulff 
and 
James Watt; 
Clerk, E. 
0 . 
Ritter. 
