The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-10-26
USE OF THE LANDING NET.
A Tip For the Bass Fisherman Who
Thinks One Is Not Needed.
New York Sul

New York sum-
Scattered about the country are a large
Gnber OF bass fishermen who boast that
they have never used a landing net and
never will They say this much as an
other man will say that he has never read
a novel with enjoyment. or another that
grand opera makes him tired. exploiting
= lamentable defect as a virtue.
The method OF these men in landing a
bass is simplicity itself. They fight The
tlsh until it has been brought TO the
boats side exhausted. or apparently so.
Then they grasp the line a foot above the
hook ana lit the fish gently in. Their
contention is that a fish which is suffi-
GENTLY hooked 10 fail 10 escape during
long battle is sufficiently hooked 10 be
lifted in. and MANY times the contention
is good.
There are times. however. when il is
not Often a big black bass fights It's
hardest and is brought TO the boat when
one more struggle would have set him
free. The hook has worked a hole for
itself ten times the diameter OF its shank
ana only steady pressure upon the line
and refusal TO permit an inch of slack
has kept II in place II the bass so
hooked makes a desperate flop when II Is
lifted clear or The water IL VIII fail back
with a splash and the next instant Is
out OF sight. Ii happens, too, that the
line has become worn at the hook, or
lust above il. q trifling wear invisible 10
the eye, but sufficient TO spoil II for Sc
riOus purposes. and IL breaks when the
fish Is lifted. The worst OF u is that
IL is always the big fish which get away
IN this manner: the little ones may be
lifted in without risk.
1t IS good thing for a man to be able
TO get into his boat with his frog bucket
IN one hand and mis- rod in the other and
bother about nothing else. and d landing
net Is troublesome and bungleSOme and
gets in the way. but the man who has
Gne and knows how 10 use IL IS lengths
ahead OF the fellow who has not one and
would disdain 10 use II even II he knew
how. Once within the net no bass ever
gets away. and it may be taken into the
boat and deposited on the bottom as dell
catelv as IL II were made Of egg shells.
On the side or safety and on the side Of
science. the landing net is indispensable
10 the equipped angler.
There is much art in the proper use VI
one. II the man goes at the fish with IL
from above he viii lose the fish Equally
he will lose IL If he swiDes from either
side. as II he were trying TO scoop off a
ton OF water The man with the net
must see first that it is shaken out and
hangs properly. IL must then be inserted
into the wafer gently. pass swiftly under
the fish until it is directly below 1t anc
then brought upward with STEADY, Iast
sweep. That will Eet the bass every
time. Before IL knows what has hap
pened and while IL is making up its mind
for one more gallant effort. IL Is II air
with lot of unfamiliar threads cling
ing around il and its DAYS as 4 swimmer
and ravaGer are ended.
-Four feet il the proper length for a
landing net handle. and IL bass are the
game the hoop should have a diameter
Of not less than eighteen inches. A net
that is too small. is worse than no net
at all. and the person who handles II VIII
lose manv more fish than the self-satiS-
fled person who thinks the net IS not
needed.