Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-08-19

Where the Fish are to be Found and
the Season at which 70 Look for
Them

Where the Fish are to be Foumd and
the Season at which to Look fog
Them
From the Forest and Stream.
There are no fish in America which are such
general 'favorites on account Of their wide dis
tribution gameness and accessibility, as the
black bass The salmon angler must 90 long
distances to few streams and expend much
time and money to strike his favorite fish, and
the brook trout is only to be found in preserved
streams, inaccessible to the many or in the will
derness. But the bass is now found in most of
our lakes, and there are few places east of the
Mississippi river where the bass angler cannot
find sport within few miles of his residence.
and good SPORT too. from June to January-if
the climate permits him to fish so late.
Except in Western New York aud few iso-
lated localities the name covers the two species
properly known as large and small mouth. In
the excepted places the name Of black bass Is
restricted to the latter alone, and the other is
by some strange freak, termed "0swego bass, :"
as though 1t was fish peculiar to the vicinity
of that city instead Of an indigenous species
ranging from Canada to Florida.
Other local names hamper these fishes, even
that of trout being applied south of Virginia,
where they are termed ''chub." Much differ
ences of opinion exists regarding the compare
garding it as greatly the inferior of its con-
gener, and others claiming equal rank for it.
DR.. Henshall does not discriminate between
them, and We incline to think that the merits Of
the big brother with the open countenance have
been underated. This is one of those fairly de-
batable questions, but may be found to be
mainly one of locality. and, therefore. hard Of
solution. Certain it is, if there were only one
species, and that one the big mouth, 1t would
De accorded high rank among our game fishes.
far exceeding the pike or pckeral, or. in fact,
any fish taken in fresh waters, excepting the
salmon and trout: and many of our anglers do
not except the latter i'm this comparison.
We are continually asked where good black
bass fishing can be had We hardly know of a
lake large enough to afford range and breeding
grounds between Connecticut and the Missis-
sippi, and Canada and Florida. which does not
furnish more or less good black bass fishing. as
well as many of the rivers. Even some of the
cold lakes Of Maine contain them. There are
lakes on Long Island which might furnish good
bass fishing. if stocked. for these fish are not
natives Of the Atlantic watershed east of the
Mississippi, excepting the lakes and streams
emptying into the great lakes and the st. Law
renee.
In the early summer they usually take the fly
well, and again in September Then they are
found near the shores. around rocks and among
the stones. seeking the insects which drop from
the trees. minnOws and other food. In midsum-
mer the larger ones retire to deeper water. and
are taken with bats of various sorts, min
nows, dObsons or helgramites, revolving spoons,
etc. In some lakes they are reported as refus-
ing the fly at all times but it has never been our
misfortune to find such water since We learned
to take them with the fly.
We have recently been taking them with both
fly and bait in the wel-knOwn Greenwood lake,
living partly in New York and partly in New
Jersey, and for the benefit of those who wish
the detail of such fishing we will give our
methods, first promising that there are almost
as many modes of angling for this fish as there
are anglers.
Our practice is to use trout tackle through
out when fishing for black bass. whether with
fly or bait, unless casting the frog or minnOw,
which we rarely do. Therefore. we do not care
for the stiff ''black bass rod. Henshall pattern,
for the reason that trout rod and tackle affords
more sport. When fly fishing we have a man to
row the boat fifty to hundred feet from shore,
and seated in the stern we cast about thirty
feet toward the shore and from twenty to fifty
feet from it, according as the shore is
bold or slOping. On striking a fish the boat
man stops and it is landed in a landing net.
With bait, in midsummer. We anchor in twenty
or more feet of water and try to fish on a bar or
ridge, if such place can be found. and Tor this
some knowledge of localities is necessary and
should be possessed by the boatman. We use
no float, but try to keep the bait a foot or more
from the bottom. and in easy motion. In skit-
tering a minnow or frog the boat is rowed
slowly and a sitter rod is necessary, although
we lave cast a small frog thirty feet with a
stout rod, but this is severe work for it, and Is
hard on waterproof silk line; chatting it in the
rings.
In July the water in most lakes "blooms" or
"puryes"-that is; vegetable matter rises from
the bottom and the water is no longer pure and
clean. Then only small bass of few inches
long will take the fly. usually the small mouth
alone and the larger ones must be sought with
bait, the big mouths upon the shadows among
the lily pads and the small mouths in the
deeper waters. At Greenwood lake bait is
scarce, especially minnows, which is often the
case in good bass lakes, as the bass eat up the
suckers, clubs and other soft filmed. desirable
fishes, and leave only the spinOus sunfish. which
they care little for. Therefore the angler will
do well to carry his bait alive, or to take salt
water shrimps; the latter prove an excellent
bait. even if sailed. and are almost as good as
the helgramite. We hope to offer them the fly
again in September.
No Screens Wanted.
She knew he was the fy-screen man by the
samples under his arm, but she held the door
open and permitted him to say:
'Madam, 1 notice that you haven't fly
screen at any door or window"
''Not one," she answered.
You must be Overrun with f1es?"
1--WE are"
"Flies are terrible nuisance"
eyes, indeed
"And this seems to be good locality for
mosquitoes"
ooh. yes, SIR"
81 presume they bother you nights?"
Every much"
"And great deal of dust blows into house
not protected by screens"
"A great deal, sir"
Sand how many windows have you in the
hOuse?"
Sixteen"
each one ought to have half size."
Eyes, sir"
"And can make them cheaper to you than
any other man in the business"
81 think you can"
''DO you prefer plain green or fgured?"
"Well, 1 always did like plain green"
every well; will measure the windows and
take your order"
.'You needn't trouble yourself any farther, +"
she quietly replied.
.'What! Don't you want screens?"
''No, sir. The other day the woman across
the street had ten minutes conversation with q
tin peddler and she's had her nose in the air
over me ever since. A fy-screen man is about
three times as high as a potato man, and I've
been talking with you to let her see that she
isn't the only lady in town who can put on airs
She's mad as a hen by this time, and now you
crof, nd 6uo how