The New York herald., 1921-06-19
HIGH WATER FOR LOCAL ANGLERS JUN
Plugs vs.. Live Bait.
BY o. w. s


si,ce the publication of Casting Tackle
and Methods" In some quarters have come
10 be rega rded as n defender and apostle OF
plugs which Is far from the truth Fact OIL
the matter U.s. IKE ,he Aposnie ,aI ,b,ngs 10 To- ali
fish" I have about ready for publication
a volume, ''The Book OF Live Bait, when
will be frank, fair and complete discus .,
sion of the live bait question. Presume then
the critics will raise up and flay me Tor
being a live bait fisherman. There is time
10 use live bait. there Is a time 10 use plugs,
and there is time to employ the fuzzy
,uzzv lures Hear me now, for pure sport
and 10y forever commend me TO the artiti-
cial presentments." than which there Is no
halt or lure so highly satisfactory ana
thoroughly enjoyable. Just the same, when
a man refuses TO anything but tles ne
Is not only a wee bit foolish, he Is also
esotistieal When ,,ed Io,o Dr me for pp |sdvo
eating plugs for trout though advocating
was the critics word not mine; was
writing book on trout fishing, all uou. .,,
fishing; obviously could not leave out any
method Then, why should u be considered
unsportsmanlke to take trout on those tlny
plugs no larger than n NO. ~ n.y. ana
handled exactly as fly Is handled on ny
tackle?
This whole matter OF flies or plugs, plugs
or live bait. revolves In circle Right
here let me say, that whether or not
piven method is 'unsportsmanlike' VIII de-
nend upon the man handling the tackle
can conceive OF a man using plugs being as
,,ue n sportsman as the man who handles
fiies or the one who employs live bait II IL
the snirit OF the man. his fairness, his give
and take policy that denominates him n
sportsman or the other sort. have seen
inst as many porcine characters casting
files as I have using live bait OF plugs.
man using flies can take more trout, more
small trout " he viii. than can the bait
| Fisher SO the man employing plugs can
,ake more bass than can the live bait fish
| arnan though there are days, and waters,
vhen live bait will win and plugs prove
| utterly unattractivc. Shall man be amy
the less a sportsman. tho right spirited man,
/ of course. IN he use live bait under those
conditons7 trow not
! Personally I am not IN favor of the many
hooked plugs one secs displayed In the tackle
| store windows considering them uncainly
/ and unmerciful N not actually unsportsman-
! like For bass the tail hook is never needed
/ The bass strikes from the side, and for mem
! hers of the pike family the side hooks are
! not needed. for all pike. from the lordly
/ nuskeiunEe down to the river pickerel.
strike from the rear. single hook upon
i either side the lure IL enough for bass. and
| caught my largest great pike-2T pounds
on such a lure. II casting for bass remove
| hook as the dummy double"-one upon
| either side The numerous trebles are not
| necessary and a decided disadvantage when
| II comes 10 playing a fish. mouthful OF
hooks taking all the pluck out or n bass.
I fish for the sport OF fishing, not for the
fisb I catch. 7 can well remember iberatlng
bass after bass enc high night. because I
wanted n five FOUNDER and would not be
ersi-sl-d wi'r ~~~'hrg rrder tha' wri-'''