every motion of the fish. At the proper time the angler should check him by a stronger pressure of the thumb, when, if the Bass pulls strongly and steadily, and seems inclined to run away with the bait, he should be hooked at once by a slight "twist of the wrist," but not by a violent jerk, or by "yanking" the rod.

If, however, upon checking the Bass, he gives several tugs or a succession of slight jerks, it is better to let him run a few seconds longer, for he has the bait crosswise in his mouth and does not feel the steel; finally, when he pulls steadily, hook him as before described. The Bass should never be given time to gorge, or swallow the bait.

From the time a Bass first "bites" until he is in the landing-net, he should never be given an inch of slack line, under any circumstances. The rod must be held by the butt, with the thumb upon the reel, or, if the rod is held in the left hand, the line must be held against the rod, by the forefinger, which encircles it, and thus acts as a drag. The Bass is, of course, hooked by the right, or rod hand, and the rod is held in that hand so long so the Bass is inclined to pull steadily, or take line; but as soon as he shows a disposition to "let up," or turn toward the angler, the rod must be taken in the other hand, so as to leave the right hand free to use the reel. The Bass should be made to feel, constantly, the spring of the rod, which should always maintain a curve, by the tip being held in an elevated position. The Bass should fight for every inch of line, and the angler should take it again whenever possible. The fish must be killed on the rod.

Should the Bass break water, with a long line, merely let the rod straighten as he falls back, so as to slacken the line (but it should be recovered immediately when he

strikes the water), for if the Bass falls across a taut line he is almost sure to tear the hook out. If he breaks water with a short line, the rod may be elevated so as to keep the line above him, following him back as he falls into the water.

If there is danger of the Bass getting to the weeds, or to the protection of snags, roots, rocks, etc., he must be stopped at all hazards. If the rod is a good one, and pliable, the angler must not hesitate to give him the butt; this will bring him up standing, with no danger to a firstclass rod; but if the rod is a stiff one, turning the butt to him will be most sure to break it; in this case it is best to keep the Bass away from dangerous places by main strength, and the natural bend of the rod. If fishing from a boat, great caution must be used to prevent the Bass from running under it, as he will be sure to do if he has the opportunity; and should he succeed, the rod must be quickly passed around the stern or bow, and the thumb at once released from the reel so as to allow the line to run out as rapidly as possible, otherwise a broken rod is the result.

When the fish is thoroughly exhausted, he should be landed, and not before. Most anglers attempt to land their fish too soon, thus curtailing their sport and endangering their tackle. The landing-net should be held several inches beneath the surface of the water, and held perfectly still, when the angler should bring the fish over it; then the net should be lifted quickly, and with one motion. The angler must never, himself, nor allow his assistant to, frighten the fish by lunging at it with the net, in attempting to secure it. More fish are lost in clumsy endeavors to land them, than in any other way.

The angler should never be in too great a hurry to land his fish; for if he is well-hooked he can not get away, while if he is hooked in a thin or weak part of the mouth, there is a greater necessity that he should be gingerly played and tenderly handled, until he is completely "tuckered out," and turns up his belly to the sun. There is never any thing gained by too great a hurry in Bass fishing. On the contrary, "the more haste the less speed," is a maxim particularly applicable to this case.

In reeling in the line, whether playing a fish or retrieving the line, it should be guided on the spool of the reel by the left middle finger, when the reel is underneath the rod (as it always should be), or by the left thumb when the reel is used on top; it should be reeled on regularly from left to right, and from right to left, like sewingcotton on a spool. This prevents that "bunching," or piling, and the subsequent tangling and snarling of the line, so common with beginners and careless anglers. It is just as easy to reel the line correctly, and in regular and uniform coils or turns, as to bunch it, if the novice begins right; after the habit is once acquired, he does it automatically or mechanically.

CHAPTER XXIII.

STILL-FISHING.

"And if you rove for a Perch with a minnow, then it is best to be alive, you sticking your hook through his back-fin; or a minnow with the hook in his upper lip, and letting him swim up and down, about mid-water or a little lower, and you still keeping him to about that depth by a cork." -IZAAK WALTON.

STILL-FISHING is the most universal mode of angling for the Black Bass. As the name implies, it consists in throwing in the baited hook, and waiting patiently for "a bite,” the angler, meanwhile, keeping himself and rod as still as possible. Fly-fishing is surface fishing; casting the minnow is both surface and mid-water fishing; while still-fishing combines mid-water and bottom fishing. In fly-fishing and casting the minnow the bait is kept in pretty constant motion, while in still-fishing the bait is left to itself, or "still," for a longer or shorter time. Still-fishing on streams is best practiced from the banks, while on lakes or large ponds a boat is necessary.

TACKLE.

Still-fishing is often practiced without a reel, and sometimes without a rod, a hand-line, merely, being used. When no reel is employed, the rod should be quite long and light; the best being a cane pole, from twelve to fifteen feet in length. When the reel is used (as it always

ought to be) the rod recommended for casting the minnow is the best, though most still-fishers prefer a longer rod, say from ten to twelve feet, as they are not proficient in casting.

The length of the line for still-fishing depends upon the character of the rod. Where no reel is employed, it should be of about the same length as the rod; when the angler uses a reel, but is indifferent at casting, a line of twentyfive yards is sufficient; but when the regular minnow-rod is used by a good caster, fifty yards, as in casting the minnow, should be used. The line in each instance being the same as recommended for casting the minnow, except where no reel is used, when the smallest size twisted silk line, No. 1, is the best.

Still-fishers usually employ the float and sinker, and they may be used or not, according to circumstances; though one of the chiefest delights of the still-fisher is to watch the maneuvers of his float. Where the stream is shallow and full of snags, or the bottom covered with moss or grass, a float is necessary; and where the current is quite swift, or the water deep, a sinker must be used to keep the bait beneath the surface.

BAITS AND BAITING.

While a minnow is the best bait for casting, other baits, as the helgramite, crawfish, frog, cricket, grasshopper, etc., are as good, and sometimes better, for still-fishing. As a rule, the bait that is the most plentiful in the waters fished, will be found the most successful. The helgramite is a capital bait, either early or late in the season, when the Bass are on the ripples or in shallow water. It is a flat,