The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-12-25

fly rod and dark gray bucktail.
 Fly ROBERT G. HIDDEN
 One of the most wonderful fresh water fishing regions for large mouth bass, bream, goggle-eye perch and shell-cracker in the southern states lies along isolated wilds five to ten miles up the Choctohatchie river, which flows Into bay of the same name some 40 miles from Camp Walton, Fla. It Is reached by motor boat, four or five hours, to the head of Choctohatchie bay, thence up the river, which is about 300 feet wide and quite deep. A dozen or more small, lagoon-like streams and hayous ranging In width from 50 to 200 feet, and in length from a few hundred yards to six miles, wind in and out of the river in as beautiful fishing grounds as your road and reel enthusiast can imagine.
 These waters are quiet, with very slow flow. They vary in depth from three to 20 feet, and are lined with cypress trees. old logs, brush, under growth, grass. lilies and the like. T, is virgin region far from habita- tion, and is seldom fished Houses are very few and far between. There are no camps. The waters are deep enough and sufficiently open for small motorboats, as well as skiffs Cover and feeding for the fish are ideal. Casting and ny-fishing are both easy. Frequently large turtles, alligators, squirrel owl, foxes, 'coons and other wild animals are seen. In late fall and winter, when tho fish ing IS unusually good, there are no flies, mosquitoes or gnats to bother the sportsman.
 Alive With Fish
 These waters are literally alive with fish that strike lustily at all most anything. Bass, bream and goggle-eye all go after your fly, Dawagiac, lurch-tail or spoon with unusual vigor, while bait fishing is exceptionally good. The bass run from a pound or less to six pounds or more. The bream are the blue-giIl variety, larger than your hand Cog gle-eye run as high as half a pound. occasionally little larger, while many shell-crackers are taken from half to a pound.
 Four of Us, fishing companion. his two young sons and I, spent three days camping in this region. The run to the mouth of the river was made in little over three hours. An hour later the lads were pitching two small tents on the bang of a sluggish river whose waters were as still as lake. We had army cots, cooking utensils, bacon, eggs, coffee, some canned stuff crackers and bread. Tents were pitched on Knoll ten feet from the water under two huge live-oaks. Around us was dense cypress forest with hanging grey moss, heavy undergrowth and a per- feet jungle
 It was o'clock; the run was ready to drop from sight. While the boys arranged camp, built a fire and pre- pared for supper, my companion and l skulled 300 yards up stream. He used a casting rod, I stuck to flies. we returned to camp in an hour with eight bass from one to four pounds. fl oream, six goggle-eyes and four shell-crackers. They were all good fighters. Do you wonder we dreamed or the next days sport after a well cooked fish supper, few warns around the camp fire and selection of tackle for an early start in the morning? Not even the weird de l. bates of great owls perched in cy- press trees near by, the occasional snarl of bob-cat in the distance and the frequent loud spashes of big bass in the waters a few feet distant, not to speak of one member of the party snoring as lou das south Alabama saw mill, interfered with sound sleep.
 Promises of Ideal Fishing
 Next morning at 6:3o it was clear and crisp. with no wind. There was every promise of ideal fishing We found 1t sQ The program was fish ing from to 12; then lunch at camp, two hours of rest and a nap before starting out again. We never went further than two miles from the camp during three beautiful days. Two skiffs were used with a fisher man and skuller in each. The region round about the fishing places is Wild and weird. Along the banks are plenty Of cypress trees, old logs and prusn and any quantity of small growth. including bushes, rushes, grass and the like. Yet there Is plenty or open space to make casting and whipping quite easy. An occasional ouck or diver" now and then half dozen turtles, some of them with shells big as a wash bowl, rolling off loks with series of spiasbes. a squirrel or two peerinG curiously at the only sogn of human habitation. small gator, a large hawk soaring and screaming in search of prey. af- forded the only signs of animal life.
 The very waters looked "fishy. " Some of those Florida negroes, with keen scents, could probably have To- cated Dream haunts by a specially gifted faculty. Every once in awhile a strenuous bass would strike lustily for a minfow or something. and the sound was audible several hundred yards distant
 We switched from casting rods and dowagiacs to fly rods, three-gang bucktails and single flies with spin ners. occasionally dropping back to the old-fashioned flot. light singer and red worm for Dream, goggle-eye and shell-crocker.
 Changing to the latter carried us back to boyhood days. However skill -ful or successful fisherman becomes with a fly. he somehow loves to see the float dip and sail away under water for six or eight feet And he never loses interest in the occasional pop" from a crude bottle cork when 1t bobs and trembles it way diagon- ally until it disappears. If light fly rod and slow reel are used, you get the same sensation sn dthrill after your big bream is hooked as if yIu were fly fishing. All the stripping, reel pressure and play are similar.
 That first morning we took II bass running from one to six and one half pounds; twenty mine large bream seven goCgle-eyes and six she'll crackS0A Altogether we had around