Bass, Pike, Perch, and OthersHenshall, James A. (James Alexander)
Science
Bass, Pike, Perch, and Others
Henshall, James A. (James Alexander)
Fishes; Fishing
It is one of the best fresh-water game-fishes, being a bold biter, and
on light and suitable tackle affords much sport to the appreciative
angler. For fly-fishing, the best season is during the spring, when it
enters the tributary streams of lakes. At this time the fly-fisher will
be successful at any hour of the day. He may fish from the bank or from
an anchored boat, the latter plan being the best. As the fish are
swimming in schools, either headed up or down stream, no particular
place need be selected, though off the points at the edge of the
channel, or in the narrowest portions of the streams, are perhaps the
best. In the summer and fall the fish are in the lakes or deeper water,
when the fishing will be more successful during the late afternoon hours
until sundown, and the angler may be guided by the conditions followed
in black-bass fly-fishing, as mentioned in a previous chapter.
A trout fly-rod of six or seven ounces, with the usual trout click reel
and corresponding tackle, will subserve a good purpose. When the fish
are running in the streams the most useful flies are gray drake, green
drake, stone fly, brown hackle, gray hackle, Henshall, and Montreal, of
the usual trout patterns, on hooks Nos. 5 to 7.
For bait-fishing, a light black-bass or trout rod, with multiplying
reel, braided silk line of the smallest caliber, a leader of small gut
three feet long, and hooks Nos. 3 or 4 tied on gut snells, will answer
well. The best and in fact the only bait that can be successfully used
is a small minnow, hooked through the lips. The fishing is done from an
anchored boat on lakes or the deep pools of streams, either by casting
or still-fishing.
No fish will rise to the artificial fly except in comparatively shallow
water, or when near the surface, and this is especially true of the
white-bass when it resorts to the depths after the spring run is over. I
remember a striking instance of this that once occurred in Wisconsin. I
was fishing for black-bass in the Neenah channel of Lake Winnebago
during the May-fly season, when the black-bass were taking the
artificial fly right along, being near the surface feeding on the
natural flies, though the water was quite deep, with a rocky bottom. A
party of bait-fishers anchored near my boat, and began fishing with
heavy sinkers, as the water was very swift, and with small minnows for
bait. The white-bass were not slow in taking the proffered minnows, and
they caught a goodly number, but not a single black-bass; nor did I take
a single white-bass during several hours of fishing, for they were lying
among the rocks at the bottom.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account