The New York herald., 1922-06-25
BLACK BASS DRAWS
NEW YORK ANGLERS
Bronze Back Is Popular Be-
cause of Gameness and
Food Value.
BY WILL WILDWOOD.


OF all fresh water game fishes the
black bass is probably the most distinc.
lively American. and none except the
salmon and brook trout equal the
"bronze back" in general popularity
with the anglers who prefer the lakes
and streams. rather than the sea, for
sport with rod and line. At the present
time many New York anglers are enjoy
ing the sport of bass fishing in waters
within convenient distance of the city.
and a good portion Of the number will
doubtless concede that DIR. James A.
Henshall--the we'll known apostle of
the black basis correct in claiming
for this species that Inch for inch and
pound for pound 1t Is the gamest fish
that swims." Countless lines have been
cast. literal and literary. to test the ac-
curacy Of this statement, and the merry
war Of the contestants will be waged
with vim and vigor from every angle
this season and every season.
Early angling authors gave little at
tention and practically no credit to the
black bass, regarding the species as
lacking in game qualities and deficient
as to food value. Investigation has
proved that both the small mouth and
large mouth black bass will rise readily
to the artificial fly, that few II any of
the fresh water fishes show greater de-
termination in fighting for liberty when
hooked. and that the bass is really Of
fine flavor when properly served at
table
The two closely allied species differ in
appearance to an extent readily noticed
en- careful comparison, though unnoticed
by casual observers. The really distinc-
tive features are indicated In the names.
the small mouth species having a mouth
considerably smaller than that of the
other species. smaller scales, red in the
eye and high forehead; while the big
mouth has larger scales, mouth extend
Ing back behind the eye and dark
stripe running along the side. In activity
and game qualities the small mouth is
generally regarded as superior to the
large mouth. although the latter attains
greater weight, the records showing that
specimens of twelve to fourteen pounds
have been taken, while the extreme
weight of the small mouth is about eight
pounds
OF the many local names applied to the
two species in the wide range cover
ing the greater portion of the section
east of the Rocky Mountains and south
ward to Tennessee as the habitat of
the small mouth and down to the Gulf
Coast with respect to the large mouth
the title Of Bronze Backer" is more
commonly used to indicate the first
named. and "Oswego Bass" the latter
species
Lighter rods and tackle are now
used than in former years--a tendency
in nearly all branches of angling, as
the heavy rod and line have no proper
place in any except sea fishing, and
axfn fhav. fa- lo fio1A
For fiy-fshing four-ounce or six
ounce fly rod. and for bait fishing a
six-ounce or eight-ounce bait rod will
be found strong enough--well handled
to land the largest specimens of either
species the line for fly-fishing being
preferably, of fine enameled silk, and
in bait fishing a plain black raw silk
one: the leader brown-stained, single
gut twelve feet in length; with a light
weight multiplier reel for bait fishing
and an ordinary click rubber reel for
fy-ffshing. Approved flies include the
Scarlet Ibis. Professor, Gray Hackle
and Brown Miller. The most taking live
bats are crawfish, hellgrammite, grass
hopper, cricket. worm and minnow.
Within a radius of sixty miles the
black bass anglers of New York city
find excellent fishing in lakes and
streams wei stocked eacn season, as
rule, where conditions Justify. The
Croton reservoirs afford fair bass fish
ing under certain restrictions. as per-
mits must be secured, and there are
other places but short distance be-
yond the city limits where the WELL
Informed. painstaking rodster finds and
catches good-sized. willy bronze back
ers but these choice waters are not
widely known, nor are they always ac-
cessible to all corners.