332 
FOREST AND STREAM 
sportsmanlike,” for I am wedded to none. 1 
would simply tell of the ways of the fish as they 
have been revealed to me when fishing with fly- 
rod, casting-rod and bait-rod. 
Just why there are so few bass fly-fishermen it 
is difficult to understand, for both species of the 
fish will rise willingly to properly presented flies. 
I know that I am flying in the face of popular be¬ 
lief when I make the statement, for the consensus 
is that the small mouth is the fly-fish. Still, I 
have taken both fish upon the fly and can not 
honestly say that I have found one species more 
willing to rise than the other. As I said when 
discussing the gameness of the two species, the 
reason the small mouth is generally regarded as 
superior to the large mouth is that the former 
is often found in swift streams which ideally 
lend themselves to fly casting. 
Probably the best bass fly-fishing to be found 
in the United States to-day is that of the upper 
Mississippi, say near Alma, Wisconsin, or 
Wabash, Minnesota. 
It is the usual custom to allow the fly to sink 
beneath the surface after casting, even to a 
depth of a foot or more—a custom which often 
succeeds. But recently I have been experiment¬ 
ing with the dry fly as a bass lure, with flatter¬ 
ing results. Upon a water where bass feed upon 
insects, try the dry fly along toward evening and 
see if the results will not surprise you. The old 
rule that a fish caught upon or near the surface 
fights upon the surface, holds good of bass as well 
as trout. As a rule the evening hours, from near 
sunset until dark, are the most prolific, though I 
have, upon rare occasions, known bass to rise to 
flies even at mid-day. 
I have found but indifferent fly fishing upon the 
general run of lakes, though of course there have 
been brilliant exceptions to the rule. However, 
I am inclined to advise the would-be bass fly 
fisher to stick to the rivers, for by so doing I think 
he will enjoy better fishing and increase his net 
returns._ Because hass refuse to rise to flies upon 
a given lake do not conclude hastily that they will 
rise nowhere. I have fished lakes, teeming with 
bass, too, where the bronze backs absolutely re¬ 
fused to look at my feathers, when, even in con¬ 
tiguous waters they would respond with avidity. 
Perhaps those were lakes whose denizens have 
foresworn insect food, perhaps I did not possess 
the requisite combination of feathers, perhaps 
I could not handle the flies in a natural manner, 
perhaps a thousand and one things, but a fact 
is a fact and we can only make the best on’t. 
I had not thought to say anything upon the se¬ 
lection of flies for no two fishmen will ever 
agree as to which fly is best. But, like a true fly- 
fisherman, I can not pass the subject without 
throwing down the gauntlet by saying which 1 
prefer. The silver doctor holds first place in my 
affections, with grizzly king a close second; then 
comes the matador and brown palmer, and the 
parmechenee bell and cracker make an even half- 
dozen. Every angler will understand that I use 
other flies, and upon occasion resort to combi¬ 
nation of feathers, but the foregoing list should 
serve upon any water or under any conditions. 
More and more I am becoming convinced that 
not so much depends upon the particular combin¬ 
ation of feathers as upon the man behind the rod. 
While I do use any known combination of 
feathers when the fish refuse to rise, still I am 
convinced that a great variety of patterns is 
neither necessary or desirable. Better far per¬ 
fect our casting than increase our stock of flies. 
The reason why fly fishing for bass has made 
but little progress during recent years is because 
of the great popularity of the short casting rod 
and modern artificial lures. It is not for for me 
to say which method requires the most skill, but 
we all know that the lover of the short rod in¬ 
sists on being allowed to stand upon the same 
plane with the user of the \ illowy fly rod. Per¬ 
haps the evolution of fly tackle and fly fishing 
methods is complete; at any rate manufacturers 
are bending all their energies to the perfecting of 
bait-casting tackle. As the fish-getters I think 
the lures have the best of the argument over 
the fuzzy wuzzy lures. There is something about 
the whirling, darting “plug,” whether it looks 
anything like a creature that swims or flies or 
not, that tickles the temper of the pugnacious 
bass. It must be that the bass strikes from in¬ 
nate cussedness, for shape and color one side, 
he strikes the thing that makes the greatest com¬ 
motion in the water. Many of the so-called 
bass lures upon the market are an offence to the 
American spirit of fair play, not to mention the 
ethics of sportsmanship. I have seen no less 
than twelve hooks attached to a single lure. It 
(Continued on page 356.) 
The Pool Under the Old Bridge May Contain an Odd One. 
