The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-14

dart outward upon their pleJ; tuo i ;.
the rush and maintain their position shows
the temper OF which they are made.
The F1ambean black bass belongs to the
hardest fighting of the bass legions. It's
muscles are trained for the conflict from
the fry stage II learns every mood and
shelter Of the river and when It has attained
its growth after years OF experience, y is
fit foeman for the most skilled angler.
The water is cold at all seasons OF the year
and II is a general rule that the colder the
water the gamer the fish.
The best fishing Is had, however, in the
frequent pools which are placed generally
around some bend. or else at the very
feet Of the. rapids. Some OF these pools
are fifteen feet deep, the water black and
still. or else moving around and around in a
slow eddy.
They are great depositaries Of drifted
food. dead flies and such insects, ana be-
| sides contain many minnoWs along tneir
along the Flnmbeau, but when, growth
Is able to fasten itself IL selects the bank OF
pool and the lily pads are the home OF the
small frogs which have been irresistible
bass and frogs Many of the pools are 20
deep that the guide cannot use the pole,
so he takes to light paddle and goes slowly
around his employer casting steadily.
Minnows are good in the Fiambeau, az
but because the fishing doe. not begin
until the hot term is well on, the best OF
Flambeau bait for hass is the little green
frog. This animal is hooked TO Cincinnati
bass hook, which has small spoon s az i,s
upper end and IL cast out lightly, ia!lih4
forty feet from the boat
The entire lure IL not more than Two
inches long and as the frog and spoon are
light small dipsy sinker should be fastened
three inches above the hook to carry IT
down.
The cast being made, the frog, settles
steadily toward the bottom, When II
has gone down eight to ten feet meanwhile
being reeled in slowly, the. strike occurs
The character of the strike viii depeei q
largely upon the size of the frog. lf II
he small. and the smaller the better, the
bass will hit at it hard and imm' diately
take the entire lure into its mouth, when
the angler may set in the nook with quick
strong jerk of the wrist and start the night I,
but II the frog be Of fair, length and girth
the fish will rush at and seize it 10y the
leg Immediately starting with it to some
shelter or covert.
The angler lifts his thumb from the reel
and permits the line to run. When fVa
the frog around in the water and take it
head OF, gorging it slowly.
After a second run of a yard the angler
will SCI the hook. II he makes the jerk
before that time he will miss the fish entirely.
H. will .ee when he reels in where the teeth
-
is all The satisfaction he will get.
That is the hardest thing for the young
angler to learn t" wait The lin" is going
out fast and he thinks that certainly the
fish must have reversed the frog. and he
strikes-and that is all.
The old hand is APT, TO g. 70 the other
extreme and wait until the fish has discov-
cred that the frog is fastened to some
thing and let's 20 the hold in alarm Their
is II happy medium and 1t is TO be learned
ia hrIt q fptiC
man tells when it is time to strike partly
bv the amount Of line that is taken ont,
partly by the time consumed by the fish
in taking it out and partly by the feel Of
the line, the drag or weight Of the fish on
the end of it.
The redeye does not dive 70 fight 1t
has no desire to hide. 1t believes first
of all in taking look at the thing that
is holding it.
So it's first move is for the top Of thewater,
and when it arrives there 1t comes out
in a splendid leap, going a yard up. then
darting furiously down and out when II
falls hack That is the time that line must
be given, because the fish has not tough
mouth, and il too much strain IKE put on
the hook it will be torn out.
There Is but one way in which to land
black bass that is we'll hooked, and that ia,
by firing it out 1t can not be reeled
straight to the boat, as may be done many
times with the oswego, because its activity
and muscle are such that it will always
break away If it can get a straight, hard
dash against a taut line,
The length OF time required to subdue
one OF these bass when considered along
with the size of the fish, is great, Ten
minutes, fifteen minutes. sometimes twenty
minutes 60 by before the furious battle is
ended.
Such a fish will go out of the water half
dozen times in the course of the com bat.
and after the first rise it will shake its head
from side to side in the effort to throw out
the hook 50 violently and rapidly that the
futter Of it is distinctly audible, like the
beating OF birds wings. This strange
sound. not at all unlike the burr of rising
partridge is made by both head and tail.
and there is simmer or blur about the
fish such as is made by a stick swiftly re-
volved in air
The black bass, born and reared in this
red water, has all Of the tricks OF the tribe,
Enormously active and enduring, with
a savage temper and tremendous speed,
it will leap and bore fighting for every
inch Of the line, whirl over and over in the
water, endeavoring to wrap the line about
its body and 80 break it 90 to the bottom
and try to cut the line by saving il against
the sharp edge Of a rock. force lis way 40
tightly between the rocks that the line Is
often broken In trying TO drag it out. butt
its mouth furiously against the sand in
the effort 10 rub the hook from its place.
dart around dead logs, Stumbling Itself
close To the fastened timber, and then break
away; speed into any submerged brush II
can find and. rs last resort, when reeled
in and despairing, will leap from the folds
of the dip net itself and shoe. under the boat,
bending the rod nearly into a circle and
popping it sharply unless it be Of the best
material. The man who goes fishing on
the Flsmbeau with poor or weak rod and
tackle comes home with his gear smashed
inevitably.
The popularity of the Flambeau bass is
tokened by the color of its eye That
popularity il temper
1t is an extremely irritable fish. oft en-
striking at objects merely because they
disturb it, not because it wants food. II
is thus possible sometimes To hook them
without using bait OF any kind. merely by
repeatedly casting a bare hook close to
their lairs.
II a man peering into black pool over
which his boat is floating can discern the
shadow OF big bass far down, he motions
the guide TO paddle to point fifty feet
away. and begins casting directly over the
fish, permitting the lure to sink and then
reeling II by II the bass is hungry it will
strike Generally it is not hungry and the
object Is to tease it into anger
This will be accomplished in five, ten
Suddenly the big fellow, its patience worn
10 FRAGILE by the irnpudent frog, comes
out from its shelter with rush, it's jaws
wide open
This stroke, ten or fifteen feet long, is so
rapid that the eye is unable to follow it,
There is merely a dark fash under the