The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-07-19
THE STONE ROLLER FOR BASS
NOT A MACHINE BUT THE BAIT
THEY LIHE BEST or ALI.

Its Habst Dr. o~verturpins stones.
sThere are more black bass fishermen
In Harrisburg than anywhere else in the
country said q man who has been to 80
many places where folks make black bass
fishing O speciality that he feels competent
20 make this statement without fear Of
suooAssful contradiction. sOne reason for
Harrisburg's lead In this 10, I suppose,
because there are moro black bass handy
by for Harrisburg flsherfien TO catch than
there are anywhere else. Another reason
undoubtedly Ii that the same waters that
harbor the bass are responsible for about
the most killing bait that was sver pitted
AGAINST that caprtoious but hard fighting
member Of the fab family.
eff you should happen to 60 to Harris
burg some time when the black bass fishing
is on and should notice IN air OF despon-
dency approaching gloom pervading almost
every other man you meet on the street.
don't jumpat the conclusion that he lie mixed
up In some way with q state Capitol graft
contract. Nothing Of the kind. A little
thing like that wouldn't dleturb him. What
lie more than likely 10 that the stone roller
crop IL short. And here perhaps 10 a day
the finest that ever was for black bass
fishing, and no black bass bait. That's
what you will find on inquiry will be the
matter with those despondent. Harrisburg
men. The stone roller supply has run
short. that's the rub.
swhy. they will tell you there to this day
about the historic remark old Gen. Simon
Cameron made Just after his party was
routed In o State election years ago n a
Democrat was elected Governor. Soma
one said to him:
.'As much 30. almost he replied. as a
failure Ia the stone roller CROP
1T h not an easy thing to tell just what
a stone roller is. II looks like q catfish
and stings like a hornet. Some people in
sist that IL IL nothing more than . young
catfish, the catfish commonly Known as
bullhead. but those catfish have their habitat
on muddy bottoms. and the stone roller is
always on the stony bottom waters Of the
S~usuuehanna. Moreover q young bull
head as little as some Of the stone rollers
that are taken would still be In charge Of
it's mother, for the mother bullhead keeps
her Matching Of young continually about
her and guards them a. a hen does her
chicks. But this ode. little fish b. never
s sasi1 some 'i foiRs cali L stone cat. It's home
Is in the small creeks and tributaries Of the
Susouehanna and In the river itself at the
mouth Of such streams.
aOne Of these Ash three inches long Is a
big specimen and seldom seen. The creature
gets It's mann from Its curious habit Of rest
Ing It's open c~outitenance under small stones
in the bed Of the stream and weighing Its
tail and body until the stone rolls over,
whereupon the satisfaction, not to cay Joy.
III L -2A HNs
Il sWims round and round the stone that has
suocumbed to its. efforts. butts ite head
against II now and then and turns its yell
lowisb white belly upward as II, 1t were
actually having more fun than a boy with
cannon f~recrackefs.
A 60 the reason this vivaoious little
pout goes about on the bottom Of streams
other object IN lie. Jim MoAiiistsr Of Hook
vile used 70 have q theory that he always
chung TO- The larger stones in p waters
covered with moss. and from the fact that
near the NOISY stones Jim MnA1liSeer
argued that they didn't Ike moss. and a.
instinct told them that rolling stones
nor %ors q syI them ls tSaD jim Acxilistsr.
and nobody but Jim McAllister ever had q
dog Tige that could climb q tree. Jim
McAllister had one. -Tody Hamilton Knows
sns .aH Mi ,h sa dos q r, ssO S ! the nse sres. o But
Of course that doesn't prove Jim's theory
about why the stone roller rofls etcnes.
but he was q 1ineal descendant OF John
Harris, the founder Of Harrisburg. and
therefore his theory has ever been 40
sThe black bass season opens In June.
but the stone roller season begins 90 soon ID
the spring floods subside. and then men
and boys haunt the creeks and other stone
roller retreats to lay IN stookso q the Standard
In come places the bait % captured IN nets,
but the favorite method. especially. with.
the Juvenile bait collectors. 10 to stone
pound for u. The Stone roller 10 Q csutaou1
and wary little creature and has . wsy Of
the approach Of danger, and the tyro u its
capture might follow q creek all day without
.eeing any indication that there va . stons
roller In the creek. But the small boy who
hunts the bait knows better, No stone that
escapes his eye. Picking up smaller
stone. he smites smartly with II the stone
thus suspected After smiting u he turns
IL over-beoones a stone roller himself, a.
II yere-end II he doesn't find at least half
the stone was he feels injured.
sThe stone rollers that the overturnirg
Of the stone will reveal VIII be apparently
90 dead a. posts. Tut they are not. In fact,
the great feature Of the stone roller a. q bait
II that his death under almost any clrcum-
stanoss Is the last thing expected Of
him. Lack of water 10 about the only thing
that II fatal to him. Tho blow Of the boys
on the one the fish are under simply
them momentan'y They are scarcely
soooped up and put into the bait pail before
they are swimming about again as lively az
ever. Sometimes the stone roller 10 caught
on a barbless hook with 9 Bit Of angleworm.
but no matter how they are caught there
were never too many stone rollers captured
Ia the history Of black bass fishing In tho
River.
sStone rollers are worth 81 Q hundred at
any time during the bass season, and there
have BEEN times when q temporary scarcity
of the favorite bait has sent the price up
10 more than twice that. This tempting
for bass has o sharp and almost hid
len horn, or stinGer, on each side Of its body
the head. In putting Q stone roller
the hook the angler must 70 about the
work skilfully or Ne will be surprised by
singing pain in HE finger or thumb, which
!il sometimes. shoot up his arm 70 his
he has sqpeezsd u. preesed
instantly resented the rudeness.
THE sting Of the stone roller n exceed.
nEly painful, and d poison similar 10 and
,ften worse than q hornets accompanies