McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1913-05-23
Sporting News
Around SeImer.
y J.E. WILLIAMS y

T>HE Sporting items in the Independ-
a ent are very interesting to all of us
disciples of Nimrod, Caesar, Napoleon,
Alexander, Ike Walton, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ct, ell, including David Crockett, Daniel
Boone and many lesser lights.
As Bro ther Hamilton, whom l think
we should elect Chief Mogul of the Nc
Marry county sportsmen, has suggested
] should send in .'write up" will try
to write what | can think of.
Fishing is our leading occupation now
while the baby coons are growing and
waxing strong. And did you know it
requires experience and experimenting
TO become even n proficient fisherman?
When l was a kid would get few
ground worms and fish for hours and the
only thing caught was catfish, minnows
or perch. But now | will not use a bait
that will attract q catfish. While the
catfish are the most easily caught there
is no sport in catching them, and be-
sides everybody else can catch them.
But when it comes to our game fish
trout and bass-it is quite another thing.
Only those who know how can catch
them. There are more or less trout in
all fresh water streams in West Tennes-
see, but so far as can ascertain, Rose
Creek is the only bass stream. I-have
tlshed all down the little Hatchie, as
well as big Hatchie, and never u bass
rose to a fly. The waters are too slug
gish in most streams, and bass require
swift running water. have neighbors
who never knew that Rose Creek is
simply lined with bass, their fishing hav-
ing been along the old route of the tight
line for cats and minnows. Bass and
| trout are too smart to bite a bunch Of
worms and nothing but live bait or ar
tihcial bait will get them, A fair outfit
for a beginner can be bought for $40,
which will do while one is learning.
This will consist Of rod, either bamboo
or steel, preferably the latter, with about
one hundred feet of line for trolling and
| the same amount of silk line for casting.
Then for casting one needs at least
feet gut leader, which is invisible to the
fish. The hooks, also with short gut
leaders, will depend upon the size OF
stream and fish to be found. Then comes
1.-THE trout flies, bass flies, wooden min
npws, riibberinsects that fish feed upon,
Ialibcral assortment Some days game
lash will rise to one thing and some days
another, SO one must keep trying till he
finds the correct attraction. If your mer-
chant does not handle these things and
] will not order them for you they may be
obtained from any of the sporting goods
advertisers in the sporting magazines oil
from Sears, Roebuck & Co., orany 9TH
er mail order house. Above all else, get
all hooks and bats with gut leaders. as
positively game fish will not strike o
/ hook If he sees q line, and the gut being
transparent in water he only sees the
lure, with no suspicion of the line. rod
and man. Another thing, one must slip
as silently and quietly as shadow up to
the bank where he intends to cast; talk
all you please but your footsteps mus
be light and the banks must not he Jared
as the water is much more susceptible
of vibrations than the air and game fisl
are very sensible of the slightest move
ments. The first season your catch may
be very small; mine was, and tried
with all the directions and coachings
had received from successful anglers
Every year wealthy Northern sports
] men come to my place bringing tackl,
and outfits costing hundreds of dollari
, and have watched them closely; man,
of them have told me it took them year
to become expert anglers for trout ant
: bass. You may practice ut casting il
yonr back yard at home if you have
hundred feet of open space. Place
feather and with your rod jointed an,
; reel in position, with any of your bait
:. try to cast your bait and catch the feath