Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-05-18

almost Indefinitely. q
The bull minnow ard the pike smelt are
most favored by bass fishermen, and the
cray fish has many admirers. minnow'
point Of the barb is Inserted in its back
about the middle fns ahd pushed through
until it energies near the tall This is ap-
parently cruel, but the minnow doesn't
are then tossed lightly through the air to-
ward some inviting spot on the surface
beneath which a bass is likely to lie. The
m1nnow upon striking his native element
with tail rapidly moving, and If there is a
bass In the immediate vicinity there is
pretty apt to be a comnaotion in the water
In mighty little whifei
How the Bliss Bite.
Many bass are lost by the over-anxiety of
the angler to strike before the opportune
moment arrives. They are very particular
fish, and when they are feeding they seize
their food very much as cat seizes
mouse, and spend a moment or two in ex-
ultation over their luck. When the min
now, for instance. first attracts the bass
he rusEes at 1t and seizes it in his strong
Jaws sideways. This is almost invariably
tne case He will remain poised and trem-
ohng Tor a second. and will then move
slowly OH Many anglers strike at this
time when they see their line going out,
and merely pull the bait out of the fsh's
mouth. When he makes that first slow
movement he is getting ready to swallow
the mlnnoW, and the way he operates is
thus: The tongue of bass is round and
thick, like a mans thumb, and with this
member he slowly turns the minnow in his
mouth until its head Is pointing directly
down MS throat. Then with an extension
of the tongue he draws it in and proceeds
to swallow 1T. AS he starts again then is
the time for the fisherman to quickly draw
back his rod and make the victorious
ho net fII q n
glers and the lass there appears to be
sensitive telesraphy by means of the line
and rod, by which the fisherman knows
just when to strike, and the persons who
possess this gift are fortunate indeed. 1t
may be aptly termed nervous intelligence,
and Is similar to the power possessed by
good billiard players and good shots, who
perform such wonders with apparently no
unusual exercise of care or aim.
They Are Magnificent Fighters.
When the bass is hooked then the sport
begins. The small-mouthed black bass,
which is generally known as the Potomac
bass, because the stream is most favored
by the species, both In number and in size,
Is fearless, active, agile fish, of great
endurance and admirable pugnacity. With
a hook Embedded In his jaw he VIII dart
through the water for minutes ut a time
In fine frenzy Of fear; hither and thither
while the reel whirls with sweet music and
the rod bends in a graceful Loop that
threatens self-demolition. Now writing in
splendid contortions, now tlashing high in
the air above the surface, the fish fights
with heroic courage until he exhausts him
self in his struggles, and lays PROSTATE
In the landing net, beneath the eager gaze
of his exutant captor
1t Is not the biggest bass that gives the
best fight for existence, and thrills the
angler with strange mixture of hope and
fear, assurance and despair. A two or
three-pound bass Is the king of game fishes
Mhen 1t comes to his sport-giving qualities.
He Is in the prime of his strength and
Vigor, and when he knows that his life is
threatened he exerts every effort to avert
the danger.
The Fly for Real Sport.
The fly fisherman need not bother with
catching or buying ana caring for min
nows. He doesn't have to get up in the
night two or three times and change the
water in bait bucket He never tears
his hair and stirsr the atmosphere with
profanity when his bait are all dead and
useless like the minnow fisherman does
frequently. The fly fisherman takes his
pocket and takes the train I'D the river
ready to step in boat and begin fishing
as soon as he reaches his club or other
destinat ion. His eye is eagerly alert and
wiling rifles pleasing pools. He raises
the tip of his rod and with a graceful mo-
ton Of arm and wrist sends his feathered
hook far out to a remote spot that the
less skiliful live-bait angler would have had
to pole his boat closer. to. The fly poses
over the water like a thing of life and
then settles softly down like a butterfly
seeking a sip. There is a streak of foam:
a miniature whirlpool; CLEAN of silver
and shower of crystal drops. The reel
whirrs; the slender. almost weightless rod
bends until 1t makes a segment in the air
and the battle royal between the bass and
his pursuer Is on.
The fly fisherman feels glorious then. He
knows he has not fooled the bass with de-
ceitful food, but that his skill and subtlety
is being rewarded, and those numerous an
glers who fish with both the fly and live
bait will tell you that the thrill of exulta-
ton is much greater when bass becomes
victim to a fly.
Some fishermen use the spoon in fishing
for bass. but fly and bait fishermen claim
that they are not to be considered an
glers any more than a gunner who shoots
quail on the ground can be regarded as a
sportsman. When a bass strikes a spoon
he Is gone. He has no chance for his life,
no matter how gamely and courageously
he may fight; so the man who uses spoon
merely fishes to make a big string and
cares but little for the real enjoyment of
the uncertainty of the sport.
Well-knovvn Anglers.
There are several scores of expert an
glers in Washington who find relaxation
of business will allow in seeking the willy
bass with fly or bait.
The Oldest is probably Mr.. Nat Sardo.
He is fond of taking a trip after bass
whenever he can spare the time
Dr. Walter S. Harlan, who is a member
of both the Woodmount and Blue Ridge
Clubs, is without question the best fisher
man in Washington. He goes fishing often
er than any other enthusiast and 1t is
seldom that he returns in the evening with
out big string of fish as the result Of
his days work, almost invariably bigger
than that Of any of his companions. Al
though, as a rule, he prefers live bait fish
ing, he is not novice at casting the fly
In September. 1893, after fishing with tait
for a half day with no success whatever
he rugged up his fly rod, and before night
fall he had captured sixty-two bass
The name of Mr.. S. H. Kaufman has
always been coupled with Wade Hampton
when any one asks who is the most ex-
pert fly caster in this section of the coun-
try. Mr.. Kaufman, who never fishes with
bait, probably has the record for fly fish
ing on the Potomac. At Woodmont sew
eral years ago he captured fifty-six bass in
an hour and a half, many of them weigh
ing two and three pounds. 1t is always
claimed by bait fishermen that only small
fish can be taken with the fly. This in
stance. as well as others, when three and
four Founders were caught, tends to dis