| Both by tradition and practical experience, fly | | | | that lit behind him and take it avidly, while a plug, |
| fishing for bass in streams is small-mouth fishing. | | | | bait cast that near the fish, made him scurry for |
| This bass likes clear, cool water without too much | | | | the nearest hiding place. That doesn't mean bait |
| weed growth in it and with sand or gravel | | | | casting isn't useful in fishing for river small-mouth, |
| bottom. Those conditions are more common in | | | | but it does restrict its use. |
| streams than in lakes, at least in lakes in the | | | | The mood in which to approach stream fishing for |
| southern or central section of the Middle West. As | | | | bass is much like that needed for trout fishing. |
| we go farther north, especially in Canada, these | | | | You are again stalking your fish. If you keep this |
| small-mouth conditions become pretty usual in | | | | in mind, it will bring many bass to your creel or |
| lakes. As we go south, they become more rare in | | | | stringer. |
| any except mountain rivers. These conditions | | | | Most small-mouth rivers can be waded, which is |
| delineate almost exactly the places where | | | | ideal for fly fishing; there is even more need to |
| small-mouth thrive. | | | | wade properly, because most bass rivers are |
| River small-mouth are splendid fly rod fish. They | | | | bigger than the average trout stream. |
| take flies with a zest that is almost unequaled. | | | | As with trout, by no means all of a bass stream |
| They take almost any kind of a fly, too-bass | | | | holds bass. The fish have their feeding positions, |
| bugs, wet flies, exact imitations of natural insects, | | | | and their resting or hiding places, just as trout do. |
| and flies that do not resemble anything in nature. | | | | In general, bass pick the same kind of water to |
| These latter highly colored fancy type flies, | | | | feed and rest in as do trout, though small-mouth |
| however, according to recent studies of light | | | | usually select spots nearer to heavier and faster |
| refraction, may actually be good imitations of the | | | | current. |
| way a wounded small minnow or aquatic insect | | | | Whether the bass will be in the riffles or in the |
| floating on top of the water looks to a fish. | | | | pools depends chiefly on water temperature, time |
| Anyhow, river small-mouth take them all-and how | | | | of day, stage of water (whether high, normal or |
| they fight! | | | | low), hatches on the water, and on weather and |
| River bass live in fairly shallow water and, | | | | barometric conditions. So lunar feeding periods also |
| therefore, take a surface fly especially well. | | | | have an effect, but, in my experience, are not as |
| Because fish in shallow water are more easily | | | | great a factor in stream conditions as in lakes. |
| frightened, river bass are less frequently scared | | | | Where the bass will be and what they will be |
| by flies than by the larger and heavier bait casting | | | | doing is entirely governed by the combined effect |
| lures. I have often seen a river bass turn to a fly | | | | of these natural conditions. |