National Republican., 1883-06-29
A PIscAroRIAL PARADISE.
The Potomac and It's Tributaries Alive
with Game and Delicious Fish-An En-
thusisast,s Sentiments.

The Potomac and Its Tributaries Alive
with Game and Delicious FIsh-An En-
thusisast's Sentiments.
In well written article on fy-fishing a
correspondent speaks of the benefit such sport
would be to the average Washingtonian. sBe-
sides giving tho needed exercise in the open
air. there is pleasurable excitement abotit it
which acts as healthy nerve stimulus. The
hy-fsher is something of diletante in sport.
The tools of his trade are dainty and elegant.
The lissome bamboo rod, the enameed woven
silk line, the smoothly running reel, and the
delicate leader, with its pendent flies, made
an imitation of almost every insectlg thpse
are the graceful accessories of hy-fshing.
Then, unlike bass fishing, when all that lis
necessary is to sit on rock and watch aIbob
floating on the surface, hy-fshing requires
activity which gives health and strength. In
the selection Of location the correspondent
says: NV
If possible let the feathered lure be the first
and only moving thing TO attract the fish.
Keep yourself from view. When that is irn'
possible, all your hope lies in being able to
make long casts, permitting the fly to remain
for an instant and slightly sinking on the
water before recovering it. The bass, though
gamey enough when hooked, seems TO prefer
| seizing the hook when under or at least upon
the water, unlike the brook trout, which
often takes the fly above the water, throwing
| himself entirely out of his native element in
pursuit of it, The striped bass, or rock fish,
| affords the best sport TO be found in our
waters almost rivaling the salmon for dash
and pluck. Were it not for the hundreds of
villainous nets and other murderous contriv-
| ances that line our noble river from bay to
mountain, no finer sport could be enjoyed
than the capture of these striped bass
with the fly. 1t is within the
recollection Of many residents of this city that
| striped bass were once taken with the fly in
the vicinity of Little falls, of twenty or thirty
pounds weight. The exploit of Mr.. Champion,
the British ambassador, is remembered by
many. He, with u two handed rod, and an
English salmon fly, captured twenty-five
FOUNDER there. The contiguity of such sport
to a city like ours is worthy the same liberal
culture and protection as is exhibited in the
| ordering and fostering of our beautiful parks,
and for similar reasons, Norris, the author OF
the American Angler" genial writer and
skillful angler, possessed of Isaak Walton's
chivalrous spirit and lacking only his quaint
ness, speaks of the falls on the Potomac "near
Georgetown" as one of the favorite haunts OF
this noble fish. Since the time he wrote, the
fishing has much deteriorated, owing TO the
constant netting The black bass are yet to
be found and taken there by the skillful fly
| fisher, both gamy and excellent on tho table,
and are eaten, verify believe, with an added
zest, and certainly clear conscious, when
taken as they deserve to be after fair fight
with the fly.
The white perch, though inferior in sizo to
either the striped or black bass, afford good
sport, and will rise freely to u light-colored or
white fly, toward sundown. They are found
at almost all points where fishing is possible
in the upper Potomac. l have taken them
them with the coachman fly, by moonlight
often two and sometimes three at cast. In
ordinary seasons fly fishing may be prscticed
in this latitude from June to November, the
chances for sport being best in the. carly
morning and few hours before sunset. The
best flies are, generally speaking, the Huckles
| brown, black, and red-and q few Winged
| flies notably the Ferguson. They should be
tied on good-sized hook--say No. Oh 2.
commend 20 the fraternity of anglers tho pro-
! priety and benefit of learning to tie th61h, not
| specially as an economy but as an accomplish
ment of real service and adding to the pleasure
of success. IL is by no means difficult, and
once acquired, affords pleasant pastime fol
| long winter evenings, when there's nothing
left of Che summers sport but memories oi
its failures and successes Darker col0red
| flies will take when the water Is pure and
clear and the day unclouded, the lighter col
| ored ones being best adapted TO slightly
sible, facing the sun, or at least SO that your
shadow shall not be thrown across the water
Above all things keep as much out OF sight
OF the fish as possible and avoid tfeadipe
heavily--as although fish have no special
sense of hearing--they are peculiarly sensi-
tive to a jarring or disturbance of either the
water or the shore connecting Herewith
Patience is the badge of all our tribe.
Therefore let no mishap, however provoking,
induce hasty act or word. Quietly and cody
repair damages and with steady nerve cast
again for the escaped beauty or try another
place. You will not always fail, nor need you
count that day lost that finds you at sunset
with an empty creel if you have fairly toiled
For the possession of the victims is not y0ur
sole reward, nor even a reflection upon your
skill, there being days when the water dwell
ers are at home to no callers whatever and
tempted by no lure.
BAKERS PAIN PANAcEA cures pain in Man