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