204 
FOREST AND STREAM 
Fly Tackle Angling For The Commoner Fish 
A Distinguished Authority Tells How to Enjoy the Best of Sport Near at Home—Sport at a Minimum 
of Time and Expense 
By Dr. James A. Henshall, Author of “The Black Bass,” “My Favorite Fishes,” etc., etc. 
the spring months the thoughts 
of anglers naturally turn to 
fishing, and as game-fishes in 
all public waters east of the 
Missouri River are becoming 
few and far between, more 
especially black bass and trout, 
it is t ell to consider the merits 
of other game fishes that are still available. And 
while these fishes are smaller and not so gamey 
as those mentioned, they are nevertheless worthy 
of the angler's attention. 
More than thirty years ago I penned the fol¬ 
lowing: “It is among the possibilities in this 
world of transitory things, that fly-fishing for 
the salmonids in the United States will in the 
- near future be known only by tradition. It 
should, therefore, be a source of great consola¬ 
tion to the fly-fisher to know that there are now, 
and probably ever will be, in the streams and 
lakes of this broad land, percoid game-fishes 
equally worth of his skill, which require only 
to be known to be properly appreciated.” 
The quality of gameness in a fish is best de¬ 
termined by the character of the tackle used A 
brook trout on a striped bass rod, or a black 
bass on a tarpon rod, could not, in either case, 
exhibit its characteristic gameness, or afford any 
sport to the angler. 
Excellent sport with these smaller fishes, how¬ 
ever, is now rendered possible owing to the ad¬ 
vent of the very light trout rod. It should not 
be considered beneath the dignity of an angler 
to cast the fly for a rock bass, a blue-gill or a 
croppie, with a three-ounce rod. Certainly it is 
just as sportsmanlike as to fish for six-inch brook 
trout in a meadow brook or a mountain rill. 
The urban angler is now compelled to travel 
long distances, and at considerable expense, to 
find good salmon, idack bass or sizable trout. 
It should, then, be some gratification to know 
that with very light tackle he can enjoy very 
good fly—or bait-fishing with the several species 
to be described. 
As these fishes are of wide distribution, their 
local or vernacular names are numerous arid dif¬ 
fer considerably, often interchangeably. To 
identify them correctly it is necessary to give, in 
addition to the common names, the scientific 
rames as well. 
The rock bass ( Ambloplites rupestris), is 
well-known in the Great Lake region a".d in the 
upper Mississippi valley, where it is called “rock 
bass,” for as its Latin name implies, it is fond 
of rocky situations. But it also thrives in rather 
weedy ponds. In the middle west it is known as 
“red-eye” and “Goggle-eye.” 
It is a handsome fish, growing to a p Mind in 
streams and ponds and to two pounds in lakes. 
Although not as much esteemed in the Great 
Lake region as its merits demand, it is well 
thought of in the middle west as a pan fish And 
it is not to be despised as a game-fish on a three 
or four-ounce rod. Its habit of curving its body 
to resist the strain of the rod is characteristic. 
Brown, red or gray hackles, on hooks 5 to 7 , can 
be used successfully, allowing the fly to sink at 
each cast. For bait-fishing very small minnows 
are the best, but grub worms, crickets, and earth 
worms are all useful. On lakes the trolling 
spoon of very small size will prove attractive. 
The Blue Gill ( Lepomis Pallidus), is uni¬ 
versally distributed in most waters east of the 
Rocky Mountains, except in the eastern states. 
In different sections it is known as blue-gill, 
blue brean, copper-nose bream, or just “brim.” 
But wherever found and under whatever name, 
from Canada to Florida, it is much sought after 
as a game—or food-fish, and deservedly so. 
It is the largest of the so-called “sunfishes,” 
averaging a half-pound, but sometime growing 
to a pound, as in Florida. The angler in search 
of rare sport, where the usually-called game-fish 
are scarce, will make no mistake if he uses a 
three-ounce rod for the blue-gill. It will rise 
to most of the hackle flies, the coachman, the 
diakes and stone fly. 
The Calico Bass ( Pomoxis sparoides) , ranges 
along the Great Lake basin and in the upper 
Mississippi valley, where it is abundant. It is 
variously known as northern croppie, strawberry 
bass, grass bass, etc. It is gregarious, and like 
all gregarious animals is rather shy, loving the 
covert of tall-growing aquatic weeds in rather 
deep water in ponds. In lakes it also frequents 
open water. While not very game, it will not 
disappoint the logical angler with a three-ounce 
rod. Its lack of gameness is compensated by its 
eagerness to take his fly or bait, as sometimes 
almost the entire school can be taken by care¬ 
ful work. 
Almost any grayish fly, as gray coflin, gray 
drake, Henshall or coachman are usually success¬ 
ful, especially late in the afternoon. For bait¬ 
fishing use very small minnows, grubs, grasshop¬ 
pers or cut bait, and on open water the smallest 
trolling spoon is called for. 
The Croppie ( Pomoxis annularis ) is the south¬ 
ern form of this genus, and abounds in nearly 
all southern states. In Kentucky it is known as 
“newlight,” and further south, along the Missis¬ 
sippi River it is “white perch” or “speckled 
perch,” and in Louisiana is “sac-a-lac,” meaning 
“bag of milk.” It grows in southern lakes to 
three pounds, and while an excellent pan fish is 
not very gamey, easily sliding out of the water 
when hooked. It will furnish good sport, how¬ 
ever, to the fly-fisher, using small grayish flies. 
The Henshall fly on number 6 to 8 hooks is a 
favorite fly in Kentucky. Other flies as recom¬ 
mended for the calico bass and also used for its 
southern congener. 
The White Bass ( Roccus chrysops), is a 
favorite gamefish, in the upper Mississippi 
Valley and along the Great Lakes, where it some¬ 
times reaches three or four pounds. It also in¬ 
habits some of the tributaries of the lower Mis¬ 
sissippi, especially St. Francis anl White rivers 
in Arkansas. 
It rises well to the fly, and is easily taken with 
bait. A fly-rod of three or four ounces is quite 
well adapted for this fine fish, and such flies as 
march brown, the drakes, the duns, and also the 
flies mentioned for the croppies, will answer as 
well for the white bass. 
Small minnows and the . trolling-spoon are 
successful on lakes and large ponds. In the 
southern states it is better known as “striped 
bass,” where it does not grow so large as in 
northern waters. 
The Yellow Bass ( Morone interrupta), re¬ 
sembles very much, in general appearance, the 
white bass, except that the black horizontal 
stripes along its sides are not continuous, but 
broken or interrupted, as its Latin names implies. 
It might be considered the southern form of the 
two species, though belonging to a different 
genus. While it does not grow so large as the 
white bass it is fair game on a three-ounce rod, 
responding to sober-hued flies, as brown coflin, 
march brown, alder, and the various hackles. 
For bait-fishing, small minnows, catalpa worm, 
grubs and earth worms will all prove success¬ 
ful at times. 
The Yellow Perch ( Perea flavescens), is so 
well known in northern waters that it is only 
necessary to give it a brief notice. It is very 
abundant in the Great Lakes region, and is also 
found along the eastern coastwise streams as 
far south as North Carolina. It is gregarious, 
especially in the spring, near the breeding season 
and is easily captured with fly or bait. 
In lakes and large ponds it reaches two pounds 
in weight, and gives fair sport with very light 
tackle. It rises freely to almost any bright- 
colored fly, as red ibis, silver doctor, professor, 
polka, yellow Sally, etc. It will take any kind 
of bait that is used for other small fishes. In 
the winter it is taken through the ice in large 
quantities and finds a ready sale in the markets, 
as it is a pretty good panfish. 
