Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1884-06-20
BASS FISHING.

with the first of June opens the season
during which the lusty bass may be
tempted from the fresh waters Of the up
land rivers and lakes. The bass is the
ramest fish for his inches In North Amer
lean waters. lie combines the quick agil-
ity Of the trout with the sturdy strength
of the salmon. lie fights to the last gasp,
and Is hard to kill. Bass-flshing Is IA
vorite pursuit with the sportsmen OF this
city. The Potomac river above the Great
Falls, the Shenandoah River, and some OF
the streams In West Virginis are full OF
them. There Is legend 10 the effect that
the progcnitors OF the fish who inhabt
these waters now were brought from one
of the Michigan lakes in the tender Of n
r. g. o. locomotive and turned loose Mt
the junction Of the Potomac and Shenan-
doah rivers at IIarpcr's Ferry. They
multiplied rapidly, eat all OF :hc little fish
up, and now they reign supreme over tho
fall fish, the sun perch, suckers and mui-
let, who were the aborigina. finny tribes
of the mountain creeks and rivers.
Tho black bass is the king of that family
of sea and fresh water fish whose spinous
dorsal fins stamp them as the pcrcid9 or
perch type. There are five or six varlc-
ties of bass. The striped bass, which is
the rock fish OF the Delaware and Poto-
mac; the rock bass Of the st. Lawrence,
and the European bass are among them.
Not one OF these last mentioned varieties,
however, is the game fish that the black
bass Is. He is found In New England,
and in the lakes and streams Of tho North,
but he Is comparatively 4 stranger here.
His blue-black and bronze scales arc
cloudoG over with darker bands, and he Is
like fash in the water. His breadth OF
beam and the taper Of his tail fit him for
quick and active work In securing his
prey. lie is bold bitter, sometimes jump
ing out OF the water TO snatch an attract
i've fly, and when daintily boiled has not
his superior on the festal board. lie runs
from a half pound up to eight, although
II is very rare that one which weighs over
five pounds is caught in these regions.
To begin with bass-fshing as a sport, II
would be well TO say that he who sits upon
the bank and pulls out his fish at the end
OF stiff pole, is, to use the language Of
the vulgar, "chump." The true way to
catch them Is with split bamboo or Cas-
tle-Connor rod, and fifty yards Of good
oiled silk line, on clicked reel. Your
bait depends upon the capricious taste Of
your quarry. Sometimes he takes live
minnow, again he may like little spring
frog. or else an ugly black helgamite.
Oftimes, however, lie will jump for the
artificial fly, or the live katydid. II Is
best to have variety of bait on hand.
The fisherman who wants several days
good bass fishing will go to any point on
! the Potomac or Shenandoah rivers above
the Point Of Rocks. There are hotels at
the various stations along the line Of the
railroad on the Potomac, but on the Shen-
andoah 4 mountain cottage and mountain
fare must suffice. IL isn't so bad, either,
IL the host is Hospitality inclined. lie will
tell you first Of all that the moon Is not
right, and that the bass are not biting.
| He will also tell you that the crops are
very poor, snd that the country wants
rain. II you outlive these discourage
ments, and determine TO Try the FISH, even
if they ''are feeding only at night" put
on your wading clothes, ewing little
live-bait box TO your belt, and put some
little catfish in It. FIJI your hat full OF
flies-brillian: and dull ones-catch n
grasshopper or katydid or two and put
them in your pocket and set out. The
water will be cold at first, and especially
in the morning. Wade in and isi down
stream. II you east fiy fifty feet (yiiicl,
you cannot 60 If you have never before