July 22, 1911.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
139 
fine and almost invisible, these things look natu¬ 
ral and deceptive to the trout and that our suc¬ 
cess is often a matter of the light, position of 
the sun, clouds, wind, etc. At times the flies, 
even the best of them, are but poor counterfeits 
of the real thing, and the finest gut leader shows 
up like a rope or cable. Early in the season 
sunshine is helpful, later an overcast sky is 
often favorable. Morning sun better than after¬ 
noon, yet at three in the afternoon, when the 
rays were deflected, I have approached a school 
of shy trout (say within twenty-five feet) in 
shallow water without alarming them. Of course 
I faced the sun. This was after mid summer. 
What is more, the fish were rising occasionally 
and I took several before they ran into the deep 
water. 
We cannot always have just the sort of fish¬ 
ing we prefer, so it is best to take any we can 
get. Horseflies are a splendid bait for minnows 
and chubs, a well-tapered switch, black thread 
line and small hook or a needle heated and bent 
near the point. The latter is very good and 
does not injure the small fish which one wishes 
to keep alive. Theodore Gordon. 
A Sea Bass Query. 
New York City, July 10. — Editor Forest and 
Stream: A puzzling incident occurred in con¬ 
nection with a recent fishing trip, and as I am 
rather curious as to the cause, possibly some of 
your readers may be able to explain the same. 
The facts are as follows: 
I was fishing in the ocean and had caught a 
2j/2-pound sea bass, and while still alive I started 
to clean it. I first scaled it, then cut its head 
off and entirely disemboweled it, when much to 
my surprise, as I started to place the body in 
a pail of water to clean it off, the tail moved as 
if the fish were still alive. This astonished me 
and I called the attention of two or three friends 
who were with me to the unusual occurrence, 
and laid the body on the deck. It still continued 
to move its tail and upper fins for a period of 
from three to five minutes. 
I have at times seen eels after having their 
heads cut off and being skinned show signs of 
life for some time after, but never previously 
in the case of a sea bass. 
Now, the question arises: is this due to 
muscular contraction ? Or, could it be possible 
that the vertebrae still contains life after same 
has been severed, or is it due to some other 
cause? Hartie I. Phillips. 
North Shore Casting Club. 
Chicago, Ill., July 12.— Editor Forest and 
Stream: The club has a new accuracy fly-rod. 
There will be a member at the club every eve¬ 
ning to teach you the game. The sincere wish 
of the executive committee is to have a large 
number of fly-casters this year. 
The quarter-ounce bait and light tackle dry-fly 
accuracy scores made July 8 follow: 
One-quarter ounce accuracy: 
Adams . 98.4 
Ellsworth . 97.2 
Lambert . 97.5 
Benns . 96.6 
Bunts . 95.1 
Ercanbrock . 97.4 
Goodwin . 98.5 
Liddell . 9S.2 
Dorchester . 97.7 
Forsyth . 98.9 
A. Paulson (guest)... 96.7 
Light tackle dry fly accuracy: 
Goodwin . 98 4-15 Dorchester . 99 6-15 
Liddell . 97 11-15 Forsyth . 99 7-15 
C. O. Dorchester, Sec’y. 
Chicago Fly-Casting Club. 
Chicago, Ill., July ii.— Editor Forest and 
Stream: The scores made in the regular club 
contest July 8 were as follows: 
Long Dist. 
D. F. Beatty. 
%oz. Bait. Accy Fly. 
. 99.1 99 6-15 
Bait. 
157 
Dr. C. F. Brown. 
. 96.2 98 14-15 
156% 
O. E. Becker . 
. 99.1 
157 
G. A. Ilinterleitner_ 
. 97.4 98 14-15 
... 
lohn Homann . 
. 98.4 
E. R. Letterman. 
. 98.1 98 12-15 
85% 
F. P. Naylor. 
. 98.8 
134% 
H. W. Perce. 
. 98.4 99 5-15 
F. N. Peet. 
. 98.3 99 11-15 
127% 
1. B. Smouse. 
. 92.2 
E. A. Snell. 
. 93.5 
. . . 
Dr. C. J. Spruce. 
. 98 4-15 
1. M. Smith. 
. 98.0 99 1-15 
. . . 
A. 1. Winteringham... 
. 98.3 99 5-15 
159 
Arthur Webb . 
. 9S.1 
... 
Re-entries: 
D. F. Beatty. 
. 99.1 99 6-15 
154% 
Dr. C. F. Brown. 
. 97.8 99 6-15 
(). E. Becker. 
. 98.5 
G. A. Hinterleitner... 
. 99.0 99 
FT R. Letterman. 
. 98 5-15 
F. N. Peet. 
. 98.2 
T. B. Smouse. 
. 94.5 
Dr. C. T. Spruce. 
. 97 3-15 
A. L Winteringham.. 
. 99.0 99 7-15 
Arthur Webb . 
. 98.8 
Linder . 
99.2 
Bauer . 
. 96.3 
Heston . 
97.5 
Stanley . 
. 99.4 
Tamison . 
98.5 
Spencer . 
. 97.5 
Hartstall . 
93.5 
Ranney . 
. 98.1 
De Garmo . 
98.8 
Humphreys ... 
. 98.0 
McFarlin . 
96.3 
*Jamison . 
. 98.8 
Hornstein . 
95.0 
*Amman . 
. 98.3 
Asper . 
93.4 
*Bauer . 
. 97.2 
Pierson . 
*Re-entries. 
Accuracy fly event: 
De Garmo . 
98.1 
Regular. 
Re-entries. 
98 8-15 
Heston . 
99 
Whitbv . 
98 13-15 
Ball . 
99 6-15 
Amman . 
99 1-15 
Ranney . 
98 8-15 
Tamison . 
98 14-15 
Stanley . 
. 99 7-15 
99 6-15 
Light tackle distance fly 
event: 
Amman . 
Regular. 
Feet. 
. 82 
Re-entries. 
Feet. 
75 
Heston . 
Jamison . 
82 
Ball . 
. 86 
92 
De Garmo . 
. 83 
79 
McCarthy (visitor) . 
. 100 
Distance fly event: 
Feet. Feet. 
De Garmo . 92 Heston . 79 
Ball . 90 McCarthy (visitor).... 98 
Amman . 83 
L. V. Tournier, Sec’y. 
Kansas City Bait and Fly-Casting Club. 
Kansas City, Mo., July io.— Editor Forest and 
Stream: The dry weather and low water in 
our pool has greatly inconvenienced us the last 
two or three meets, but we are building great 
hopes on Mr. Rock’s voluntary proposition to 
build a hundred-foot circular pool on his ex¬ 
tensive greenhouse property. When this is ac¬ 
complished we feel that Kansas City will be in 
position to entertain any number of visitors. 
The scores of July 9 follow: 
One-quarter ounce accuracy: 
Meier . 
. 99.0 
Heite . 
.... 98.2 
Noland ... 
. 98.6 
Pitkin . 
.... 97.4 
Bramhall . 
. 98.5 
Robinson . 
.... 96.5 
Kerner ... 
. 98.5 
Doyle . 
.... 96.3 
Robirds ... 
. 98.3 
One-half 
ounce accuracy: 
Meier .... 
. 99.2 
Hollingsworth ... 
.... 97.4 
Heite . 
. 98.5 
Pitkin . 
Kerner .., 
.98.4 
Robinson . 
.... 96.8 
Robirds .. 
. 98.1 
Doyle . 
.... 96.4 
Bramhall 
. 97.8 
Noland . 
.... 93.3 
Geo. L. Robirds, Sub. Sec’y. 
A LEAPING TARPON. 
The scores of the visitors in the half-ounce bait were: 
Regular. Re-entries. 
H. T. Hocamp. 98.3 .... 
F. ICleinfeldt . 98.6 97.8 
W. S. Maloney. 96.8 97.5 
G. H. Slocum. 98.8 97.2 
John Hohmann, Sec'y. 
Illinois Casting Club. 
Chicago, Ill., July 9.— Editor Forest and 
Stream: The contest scheduled for July 8 was 
cast off in regular order per scores as shown 
below. 
On the following day the participants were 
disappointed in view of contrary winds, and the 
half-ounce event for that morning was post¬ 
poned. 
The fly events as shown below were cast under 
somewhat unfavorable conditions, but results 
demonstrate a creditable display of skill, Mr. 
Ball having equalled the previous club record in 
accuracy fly event, being only six points off. 
Weather Saturday afternoon hot and mostly 
clear, with wind in the southeast, approximate'y 
eight miles per hour. 
Half-ounce accuracy bait: 
Hartley . 95.8 Amman . 99.2 
Ball ..'. 99.0 Whitby . 98.5 
Newark Bail- and Fly-Casting Club. 
Newark, N. J., July 16.— Editor Forest and 
Stream: I am sending herewith a copy of the 
scores made at our club contest on Weequahic 
Park Lake on July 15: 
Accy. %oz. Best. Dist. Accy. 
%oz. Bait. Dist. Cast. Fly. Fly. 
Neu ..7. 97.12 168% 177 66.5 98.5 
Muldoon . 97.13 134 160 .92 98.8 
Glaister . 91.12 56 85 .. .... 
Sands . 93.11 ... ... .. .... 
Champion . 94.12 41% 104 99 98.11 
Doughty .. ... ... 87 98.6 
Mapes . 97.4 165 179 101 99.0 
Charles T. Champion’s cast of 105 feet was 
disqualified on account of no fly. 
Fred. T. Mapes, Sec’y. 
Springfield, Ill., Fly- and Bait-Casting Club 
Springfield, Ill., July 15.— Editor Forest and 
Stream: Our annual club tournament was held 
Sunday, July 9, at Reservoir Park. The cast¬ 
ing was held under handicap. Weather clear; 
strong head wind. Half-ounce accuracy bait. 
Scores follow: 
Hibbs .98.3 
Harris . 98.7 
Ungerer . 96.7 
Clark . 98.14 
Hickox . 97.7 
Eggleston . 94 
Jardine . 91.1 
Lewis . 88.3 
W. W. PIarris, Sec’y. 
