Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-01-08
HOW TO CATCH mass.
Mr. Seth Green Describing thc Hest
Methods Of Capturing ~ G.smy

Fish.
.,uos, s,,, IAss Yors Sun
nsh that ne takes the Creates pleasure In CUP
turing. Perhaps there IS no fish which IS in
mere favor with the large proportion OF anglers
lsb Is often COMPOUNDED with the osvego or
iarge-mouthed bass, also known as the grass
pass and mud bass It resembles the black
osss much In general appearance, but differs
greatly In habits and gameness. The black
oass is priced by the angler both on account OF
ms gsmy Qualities and excellence as food He
never sacrifices his life without a struggle.
which often taxes the skill OF the angler 10 the
utmost. VIII undertake TO describe the most
successful ways In which have taken them.
sun fishing, SO called because the fisherman
remains stationary either in anchored boat or
Iton the shore. is the most common and sim
plest way. In this fishing a moderately stln
rcd is used OF about twelve feet In length-a
size ABOUT as long as can be conveniently
handled. The further you get the bait from
the hoat the Better. A strong fine line aud reel
are also used Nine are hswser laid striped
bass linen line, size No. O. and hooks % Shan.rh
ness.'s No. l. The hook should be Tied on
single gut smell The best bait for large bass is
htnnow about four inches long. OF the
sucker. chub. or sinner species, fresh water
crab or crawflsh. and dobson or hellgra.nlte
are also used successfully.
IN using ninnows for bait insert your hook
through the middle OF the back just above the
backbone, taking care not TO hook IL through
The backbone or below &; also be careful not TO
remove the scales or in any way destroy the
n'innoW'S Natural appearance Anchor your
toat 10 from Twelve TO twenty feet or water.
Now We Will suppose the angler is sitting in
his boat, with rod and reel and hook baiIed
II you are fishing with cork or bobbar on your
me. measure the depth Of water. and place
Cur bUDher so that your bait Will be within q
iooi OF he bottom. OF course a light sinker is
Lec ssary, placed a foot above the bait. When
the bass sees the minnow he darts for it, takes
VI n his mouth. and carries IL about five or SIX
feet before he overcomes the force Of the rush.
When he stops he shifts the n,innow about In
his mouth Until he gets IL head foremost, aud
then proceeds TO swallow IL. This operation
VIII occupy full minute. AS soon as ne gets
the mlnnow swallowed or well under way be
VIII start to swim of in search OF other food.
Wien the angler sees that a fish has struck his
pa1t, instead OF jerking. give him line until he
stops and when you see he has stopped nib
ding, which Is caused by getting the minnow In
position TO swallow and is moving off. make
you don't hook the fish the bait will not move
more than foot, and IL you miss the fiSn the
Iirst time the chances are he will take IL again.
Ii you are fishing without a bobber it is good
plan. after you see that the fish is not hooked
10 let your Dait settle Immediately to the bot
tom. and the fish will think he has killed the
n,inhow, and nine times out ten he will go for
him again.
In using crawflsh or fresh water crab for
bait, before putting 1t On your hook it is good
plan TO break Off one OF the pincherS. The OBJ
Ject In doing this Is TO disable the crawfish so
that he cannot crawl SO well. and Will not be- so
likely to get under stones and hide himself or
get your hook fast. NY experience has been
that black bass will seldom take the crawfsh
when off the bottom, as that is where they are
accustomed to seeing them, and when it is of
the bottom swinging, about IN the water they
do not seem to know what IL is. When using
the craW1lSh for bait 1t Is fully as WELL and per
haps better, TO dispense with the cork or bob
Der. and although the sport is finer La using
rod, and prefer 1t, undoubtedly as many tish
can be caught by fishing with hand line. In
putting the crawfish on your hook Insert the
hook on the under side through the second
Wrinkle or the tail from the body, and have the
hook come through the tail out on the back:
throw the bait away from the boat or shore as
TAR as you can conveniently, and let iC settle 90
the bottom. When the bass sees the bait he
gees for IT. as he does for the minnowS. but does
Lot go SO far after taking the bait before he
more than two or three feet. When
he gets the crawfish In his mouth he turns him
until he gets IL tail first, and then swallows If.
When the bass starts to swim of make the
strike.
FISHING for black bass with artificial flies,
either by trolling or casting, IA In brook trout
fishing, is generally considered the most scien
tfic way, as the tackle Is finer and more skill is
required TO handle and land the fish. The act
OF casting alone requires considerable practice
ard Skill In trolling with flies use the same
rcd, line. and reel as described above for still
fishing. Use single gut leader. The gut should
be one size finer than salmon gut, and the
leader should be IN length one foot shorter than
small brass swivel should be used to connect the
leader With the line. the object being keep the
leader from twisting, and two Il shot should be
spit and placed on the leader. about foot
from each eld. i use on my leader three and
four flies. placed equal distances
apart. The flies Should be tied on. hooks Size
humber one or one naught. The bass flies
sold In New York are, In my opinion, gen
orally tied on too large hooks. The body Of the
fly should be larger than Is generally made
nearly as large round In the th!ckest part as
al ordinary lead pencil The brightest dies
should always be placed at the upper end or the
leader for bright flies attract the attention OF the
bass and your lower files, following In quick
succession, are the ones on which the fish are
usually caught. When you hook fish, take
plenty OF time In getting him In, for In doing 50
YOU are more likely to save your fish. and IL
there Is another fish near, the chances are that
rod. and do rot let your line
get slack. The most successful flies that have
goose feathers, body OF red worsted. wound
with t1nsel, and grizzly hackle ana red ibis TAIL
The next fly Is known TO dealers as the Grizzly
King. and for the lower flies the Gov. Alvord
and Seth Green. These flies car be found at
most any fishing tackle establishment. Use
about fifty feet of line, and troll slowly In a
beat over the rocky bottom In from six to if
teen feet OF water. When you catch bass
turn your boat and troll over the same ground
again, as you are almost sure to get another
strike.
roo. The leader should not be more than eight
or nine feet In length as it is very difficult TO
st:aighten out a longer leader in casting with
large flies. No shot should be used In the
leader. as In trolling.
shall now try to describe and explain how
to use the best and most killing rig have ever
tsLed with Tor black bass, and one which can
recommend. The same rod used for still fish,
ing or trolling with flies VIII answer. The reel
should be Elutiplier containing at least fifty
yards OF line. a sinpie gu- leader is used, the
same as described above for trolling with flies,
with the exception that two swivels are used
instead OF one as hereafter explained. The
leader should be made In two parts II your
feet and the other three, one OF the swivels
connecting the two parts. The short part OF
the leader should be at The lower end In length
1t should be within eight inches or a foot as
long as your rod is from the tip down to the
reel. On the leader is attached a gang OF hooks
by means OF q small brass swivel. The gang
Is made In the following way: The hooks
used are O'Shaughnessy's No. 9. Two sets OF
three hooks each are Soidered back to back In
the shape Of q grapnel, and one set or two
hooks soldered back to back. The hooks thus
arranged are tied on piece OF gut (Jhe same
Size as used for leader five inches long, which
includes loop. The sets OF hooks should be
placed one and half inches apart with the set
Of two hooks at the upper part OF the gang,
which will make the gang OF hooks measure
three inches from point to point. This Is the
right length for mtnnow about four inches
long. II the average size OF your minnows are
larger or smaller, the gang should be made in
proportion. In putting the minnow on the
gang, insert one OF the upper hooks In the side
OF tie head, and one OF the lower ones In the
side near the tail; one OF the middle hooks
should also be Inserted In the side, The minnOw