| -----SIDEBAR------------------------------------------ | | | | success will be had if he will dangle an angle, baited |
| Older fly fishing classics contain a wealth of | | | | with worm, helgramite or craw, in the deep holes. |
| knowledge for the beginner fly fisher as well as the | | | | As the season advances fly fishing improves but |
| experienced angler. | | | | June usually finds the bass busy with family affairs |
| The following is an excerpt from Practical Fly Fishing, | | | | and they should not be bothered even if the law |
| by Larry St. John (1920) | | | | permits. July is usually a good month on all streams |
| -----END SIDEBAR---------------------------------- | | | | and on the larger ones this month and August often |
| WADING A STREAM | | | | produce best of all - and just when the lakes are |
| Ideal Fishing | | | | yielding least. Very low water, however, often drives |
| The ideal way to fish a bass stream, if its depth and | | | | the fish into the holes on small streams during the " |
| bottom will permit, is to wade. Some one has said | | | | dog days." |
| that Art is the beautiful way of doing things. Certainly | | | | September, the month Eastern and Midwest trout |
| then, wading the stream is the artist's way of fishing | | | | fishermen close up shop, is usually excellent except |
| for Micropterus. It has all the charm of trout fishing | | | | the week of the equinoctial storm. October - brown |
| and all of its thrills and seldom is so lonesome since | | | | October - also yields well, and the seasons we have |
| many of our bass streams are in settled districts. | | | | "a late Fall" fishing continues good even well into |
| One often fishes a stream and is never out of | | | | November. Local conditions also must be considered. |
| hearing of the cowbells and the barking of friendly | | | | The ideal fly fishing day is a dark, overcast one, just |
| farm dogs but is in the wilderness nevertheless. | | | | before a rain, or better still, when it merely suggests |
| When the angler wades he becomes a part of the | | | | or threatens to rain and doesn't with enough breeze |
| stream and its life and the more he fishes a fine | | | | to ruffle the surface of the water. Next best is what |
| stretch of water the friendlier it becomes. | | | | the average person would call a "nice day."- when the |
| Bass and Flies | | | | sun shines, the sky is blue and friendly and |
| One reason I believe bass fly fishermen are not as | | | | streamside posies and tree tops nod to fitful breeze |
| generally successful as their trout fishing brethren is | | | | lets that put a slight ripple on the stream. |
| because the bass fisher, as a class, has not put as | | | | The best time of the day is undoubtedly the early |
| much study into his waters and his methods. This is | | | | morning hours, from dawn until eight or nine o'clock |
| not to be wondered at when you consider that fly | | | | and from four in the afternoon until sundown or even |
| fishing for bass is, compared with trouting, in its first | | | | until after dark. During cloudy days the noon hours |
| tooth stage. In other words, if some anglers loudly | | | | often produce well. However, most of us fish the |
| proclaim that the east wind bloweth when they are | | | | day through and perhaps it doesn't add much to the |
| bassing with flies it is due, not to the bass but to the | | | | heft of our creels but it adds lightness to our hearts |
| angler. | | | | and uplift to our spirits and there is always the |
| True one seldom gets the big, old, granddaddy bass | | | | anticipation of the luck the evening fishing is going to |
| of 'em all on a fly, neither do the bigger trout come | | | | bring us - unless, perchance, it is the last day and we |
| to the net by the same route, but the average of | | | | must quit untimely to catch the 5:15 for home. Then |
| the stream or lake can be caught on flies and are on | | | | we are out of luck as the fish invariably begin to rise |
| certain waters. Is it entirely because of certain local | | | | well as the quitting hour approaches -'twas ever thus |
| peculiarities of fish, water or conditions that fly fishing | | | | as the poets say! But never mind: other days are |
| for bass is practiced so successfully on such widely | | | | coming and for that matter if the fish become too |
| separated waters as, to mention a few: the upper | | | | challenging one can always "miss" a train and send a |
| Mississippi and Illinois rivers in the Middle West; the | | | | telegram of explanation later. Such things have |
| Susquehanna, Potomac and Delaware in the East; the | | | | happened! In fact, I know bald-headed men who |
| Current and St. Francis in the Ozarks; the Belgrade | | | | have, choosing love before duty, thus played truant |
| Lakes in Maine? I think not. Bass fly fishing has long | | | | from home and business under these circumstances. |
| been practiced and studied in these places, hence the | | | | Thunder and lightning storms are unpropitious for |
| success. | | | | good fishing but a gentle shower often turns the tide |
| Aside from its beauty and charm wading a stream | | | | in our favor and sets the fish to rising. |
| makes for success. In the first place a stream that is | | | | The direction of the wind has little to do with the |
| of wadable depth is ideal for fly fishing and the | | | | success of a day on a stream as the wind comes |
| angler, moving slowly and quietly, with only a portion | | | | from all directions if the river is at all winding. The |
| of his body above water is, as old Dennys put it, less | | | | proverbial east wind may have local influences, in |
| likely to "offend the fearful Fish's eye." | | | | England or on our east coast, but otherwise is not |
| Seasons, Weather, Etc. | | | | objectionable and the phases of the moon have little |
| As a general rule the trout fisher can go a-fishing | | | | to do with fishermen's luck or the whimsical mood of |
| earlier with his flies than the angler who fishes for | | | | Micropterus, except that the bass may do their |
| bass in northern North America. A great many of our | | | | feeding on moonlight nights and be indifferent during |
| good bass streams are in civilized territory and the | | | | the day. In this case the angler, well prepared for |
| Spring rains, plus the drainage of farm lands, usually | | | | mosquitoes and with heavy tackle, can do his fishing |
| roils the water. If one must have bass then most | | | | after sundown. |