The New York herald., 1922-07-02
Bass Bugs.
By o. w. y.

Every bass fan and some trout fishermen
have come to realize that in the bass bugs"
we have splendid. new lure, something
that can be used with the fly rod and that
does not require the fine understanding of
the art of fly fishing that the expert hand
ling of the fuzzy wuzzies does. Fact Of the
matter Is, there are comparativelN few good
casters of artificial flies for bass. | mean.
for every bass fly fisherman there are at
least nine who use the short rod and multi
plying reel. have no quarrel With the
short caster, ! love 1t, witness my Casting
Tackle and Methods" book that Is prov
ing very popular. and In which / try to
write appreciatively OF bugs and their hand
ling. Just the same, there Is more real
sport in hooking a well conditioned small
mouth on a fly rod, and the man who can
use light tackle is real angler. would
not have the reader think for moment
that am knocking the short rod and
quadruple reel, intimating that their
proper handling does not require Skill l
possess a battery of wonderful rods OF the
class. while my tackle box contains more ex-
pensive quadruple reels than any moderately
circumstanced man has a moral right to
own; all OF which are used and loved
season in and season out.
Before the bass bugs" appeared on the
market, was making large cork bodied
fly for bass fishing. though l had not
progressed TO the point OF enameling In
colors so rendering II waterproof. How
ever found that could build a fy that
would take bass more quickly than would
the simon pure fly, and lue that cast,
because of its greater weight. with utmost
ease Then appeared the commercial bass
bugs" in coiors TO dazzle the rainbow, lures
that were immeasurably superior to mine.
Next under the direction of our now
mourned Larry st. John, came the stand
ardizIng of a few patterns and the attach.
ing of names thereto. Naturally was not
quite satisfied with the patterns, what
angler ever is7 made my own bugs.
evolving several which | named to suit my
Royal Coachman, somewhat, has proven
very successful with me, so that when a
manufacturer asked me II | would tell him
Of any patterns / had found peculiarly tax
put them on the market. So 1t has fallen
out that now you can purchase OF the w. j.
Jamison Company. I30 s. California avenue,
Chicago, a sfly he calls, wv. o. Smith $
own" my fly made by professional fly
tiers. Needless for me TO add, I think, I
am not interested In the manufacture. get
nothing out OF II" save that have the sat
isfaction of adding to the pleasure OF the
and knowledge OF the fishs habits are more
determining factors than mere colorat'on; :;
this l say, remembering always, that my
fly Is a beautiful thing. just fly, Pc feet
tackle. and even skill with tackle. Will not
when 70 cast, know something OF the habits
of the fish. I have seen tournament casters,
platform performers, who could cast fly
skill, etc. being infinitely superior. yet
when It came to actual fishing. I was there
with the landing net. why? Fish
knowledge that's all. DO not think that
the possession of mere tackle will make
you successful fisherman. nor will perfect
form" In casting.
The ca asting Of "ba 81 bugs" is easy In com
rarison to the handling Of feather flies, their
weight, their size rendering them COM
vrl-~,vely easy to hssdie. First, would