The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1910-09-17

they are the more peculiar they
seem to be. To particularize;
Every bass fisherman has his
way to take DIR. Henshalns one
best bet among the game fish. He
may be fly or artificial bait cast
err; he may troll with spoon or live
bait; he may still fish with live
bait or the humble angleworm.
Each method has it's following.
The fly caster considers himself
of the elect. But you couldn't
stuff the fly-tossing theory into
the intelligence of the live bait
man or the wooden minnow caster
with potato masher and a wedge.
1t is easy to tell how to take
black bass. know of men who
make comfortable living doing
so-and some are the poorest ex-
cuses in the world when they get
down to brass brads and try to
prove their theories.
Some of these experts" whu
tell you how, but can't do it them
selves, draw salaries from the
manufacturers for airing Their
views upon the proper way to kill
bass: These views, of course, are
written around the efficiency oil
So-and-So's wonder worker, and
the publications devoted to fishing
and hunting devote columns tc
these stories, because the manu-
facturers pay for advertising.
I'm not knocking the contrap
tions intended to lure the bass
from the water. | have killed
bass with things that no more re
sembled anything bass would be
expected to take than Kid Broat
resembles Harry Lehr.
I've killed bass with live min
nows, with a hunk of pork rind
with wooden minnows. with spoor
hooks, with freaks which no SEN
lsible bass ought to pay attention
to. I've caught beauties upon {
hook loaded with the lowly angle
worm, with frogs, with grasshop
pers; and one day, when the!
we're refusing everything, acct
dentally kicked up half deat
inhabitant, hooked it through thu
back of the neck and offered it t
an old he bass that had broker
the heart of many good fisher
man with his wile-and tina
evening / dined upon said bass.
But / had to go to Lewis county
! New York, sections of which are
almost as primitive now as wher
the first settler made his appear
ance, Lewis county is prou dof 1t!
Observation-Disclosures.
One hears more talk abou
black bass, picgerel. trout, ant
pike, and tales of deer, bear, fox
woodcock, partridge and pleas
ant, than of crops.
1t was on Crystal lake, a bit o
Ishimmering silver fringed will
emerald, set in a hollow of The
Adirondack foothills, that l saw
local Izaak Waltons using a queer
est of all has bait - and this
statement in the face of the scores
of mechanical freaks on the mar
ket.
L had been out from daylight
until the sun appeared over the
cedars, and had fished hard but
without success. AS the sun be.
gan to dip, | went at it again
with a supply of worms and grass
hoppers. In another boat two
farmer-guides were fishing. While
II went bassless, 1t seemed that
every time l looked their way one
or the other was hauling in a bass
We quit at the same time. They
because enough was sufficient, and
l because l wasn't getting any
thing. AS they tossed their string
upon the bank, / asked what they
had been using.
Cat meat" replied one.
"Cat meat?" l echoed.
Sure. Didn't you ever use cat
meat? Greatest stuff for fish in
the world, i cal'late. Fish Is just
as crazy after cat meat as cats Is
after fish. They always take 1t
We raise cats Just for bait"
Well, out of curiosity, / took a
bit of cat meat and~returned to
the lake. 1t caught fish. l never
had better fishing. / can't say
that l am keen over the slaughter
of house cats for bass bait, but