The sun., 1903-08-02

---siamcr Fighters Than Even the
Trout-A Discover! of Grcat In'ercs,
So Anglcrs-lsig s!IlskalionSc Some
times Taken Yer, Easlls-Just the
Right WEATHER to Enjoy Fishing.
So far aS the records go, no one had ever
tried nv-fshlrg on the North Fork OF the
Flambcau River in northern Wiaccn ns'n
until last monthy Then r. b. Sellers or
Monticello, Ind, formerly Federal District
Attorney for that part OF the State, de-
termined to have a 60 at it.
He was In the upper country OF Wisconsin
trolling for muskallonge and getting
nothing, casting all sorts Of live and arti-
fetal bats for bass and getting little. Local
folk told him that it wo ould be waste OF
time and muscle to use the fly on the Flam-
beau, but he il an investigating angler and
went ahead.
He got five black bass in half an hour.
and in the next half hour landed two musk
allonge Of ten pounds each, and then quit
because IL was getting near night ana
he had two miles to walk to his hctel. he
used an ordinary bucktail NY with dash OF
red in il. -,
Unfortunately Mr.. Sellers was taken i'll
immediately afterward and had to 60 home,
else there can be no questic that ne woulo
have taught the natives more about their
own stream His success stimulated other
anglers however, and they did enough last
month TO demonstrate that the Flambeau,
a stream which had not known the arti-
fetal Nv during all the years it had been
visited Ia one OF the best fly waters In
America,
The Flambeau is tortuous, and runs from
the Lac du Flambesu region southwest
wardly TO its junction with the Chip
pewa which in turn joins the Mississippi.
Its connection with the great stream guar
antees that 1t contains muskallonge and
wall-eyed pike. though none OF the Mis-
sissippis pckerel ever makes its way 80
far up. 1t holds, in addition, thousands OF
black bass, running in weight from pound
to five pounds.
n is more prolific of these fish than any
other water in the West and men who have
fished all parts of the country say that In
the Flambeau the bass are gamer than any
where else This is due TO the fact that tho
water is not only cold at all seasons, but
Is very heavy and swift.
The Flambeau has rapids every haif
mile; sometimes they occur every 800 yards.
The muskallonge, pike and bass are Obliged
TO make their way up these steep places in
search Of food Often the fall is 30 steep
and the rush Of water SO great that the
climb is little short OF miracle.
1t is an interesting thing to watch big
bass in a shallow part Of the rapids fighting
its way upward The fish will often select
the shallow part of the fall because theirs
Ia less weight opposed to 1t there. 1t goes
not by swimming against the stream, but
In a succession OF leaps, big and little.
The bass, living In foot Of boiling water
will cast its eye upward, note the ascent,
the rocks of 1t and estimate how far II
wishes to 90. II will then leap upward
from its curved tail, going possibly two
feet clear OF the sliding surface and four
feet forward. 1t strikes the water and lie
swept downward instantly, but not for
more than foot
It finds anchorage then against the upper
side OF some big rocks and makes ready
for another leap. So, gradually by jump
after jump, sometimes losing more than
it gains, 1t makes its way to the stretch
of smooth water above.
A good many trout fishermen turn ny
their noses at the black bass. Yet Prof;
Henshall was right and several noted
English sportsmen have been right In pIao
ing the black bass as the superior hsh Of
the two.
,lelioacy and flavor; 1t Is much stronger
gamer. The Hershall assertion that incl
FOR inch and pound for pound it is the
Ramest thing that swims. ID not exagge
rated; It is literally true. There IL no othel
four-pound fish in the waters OF eartt
that. with equal tackle opposed to it, viii
fight as the black bass fights.
It will surpass the brook trout, the ram
how. the Dolly Warden, the steelhead, the
nalnnon and the ouinaniche. 1t will gel
out OF the water oftener, get out higher
make stronger and longer rushes, display
more intelligence, use more tricks, esca pe
more frequently by sheer VII ana oreaA
more tB ckle.
The pleasure opened to anglers on the
Flambeau water by the Sellers discovery
is great. For the fun Of fighting and taking
a black bass with bait rod is quadruplec
when the trick 10 turned with fly rod ant
A sizable black bass will bend stee
rod into a semi-crcle and cause the angle
10 pray that it may not buckle. The fisl
with a chance to show what it can do II
omen water will make many high-prtoet
split bamboo look strained and sick In NV
minutes. With fly rod Of ten feet, built
an fy rods should be built, to do Its killing
wholly by elasticity, the resultant fight il
a wonder.
The man at the butt end must know hi
rod and tackle and hnow his fish, or he vii
not save any OF them. Ii in all the com
hat the bass once gets the chance to throw
it's weight with lightning speed agsins
the fly hook it will tear out the minut
barb and go.
II the hook holds, the chances are L
to / that it will snap the line, no matte
OF what quality of silk or how hard wound
II line and hook hold 1t must be remark
able tip that will stand two successive
assaults OF the kind
e When the tiny curved metal has beel
fastened in the fsh's jaw and the frs
leap shows the broad sides Of copper,
sheen and the black back the angler mus
work with wary thumb. Nothing oan b
done with the fish except to let 1t have II
way.
II II wishes TO rush, II must be permitte
TO rush, the man keeping just enough o
strain on TO preserve taut line. II
leaps the thumb pressure must be releases
as il springs and Il must be allowed 10 TAX
out as much line as it's leap calls for.
is the anglers duty 10 sec that the line 1
taut when the bass hits the water
If II speeds away or bores down tn
pressure must DO just enough to bend tn
rod tip two feet down, II 1t speeds In
the reel must be worked like fury to tax