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Show Night Fishing Naturally, this item will have little current interest except for those who are located geographically geographical-ly where climate permits year-'round year-'round fishing, or fishing for much later in the year than most of the United States enjoys. However, the true angler is never static, no matter mat-ter how deep the snow or how bitter bit-ter the climate, for his dreams, desires de-sires and imagination are always working overtime during the winter, readying plans and forays astream for the first permissible weather. In that connection, then, thi3 piece about night fishing may not be completely amiss. The veteran angler knows that when darkness falls, trout which have lain dormant through the day come out on the shallows and into the still waters to feed on minnows and other trout food which usually is abroad in the evenings. Big trout especially lose their caution and boldly cruise in waters they would shun in the daylight hours. They seem to have no fear of the angler working his "night" flies or other lures from areas which he has scouted and marked during the daytime. Some states permit night fishing until 8:30 o'clock; others until 9:30 or 10, and still others have no limit at all for the nocturnal Walton and the angler who knows the way of a streamer fly often fills his creel with the kind of fish that put one in the "expert" class. It seems to be a widely-accepted conclusion that the "darker the night, the better the fishing," although al-though the writer has experienced sessions astream during bright nights which dispell this theory. It is true that on dark nights the trout seem to engage in more widespread feeding activities, feeding all over the stream or river, now and then breaking the surface with great splashes. But that is not to say that they cannot also be taken on nights when there is a moon or considerable light from the stars. For the most successful night fishing, the angler should scout his fishing grounds in full daylight and mark well the places where he expects ex-pects to stand and make his casts at night. He should even rehearse the procedure in order to fix in his mind trees and snags which might ensnare his back casts; he should make careful note of landmarks land-marks that show up in the dark so he will not wade into water over his depth, nor run afoul of strong currents which might take him off his feet and sweep him downstream in the darkness. If he is casting with a lure on a bait-casting rod, he should look well to his reel and see that it is oiled and properly adjusted, adjust-ed, in order that he may not have to struggle with a backlash in total to-tal darkness or under the feeble rays of a flashlight. Best flies for night fishing are the streamers and any of them will do, although there are scores of oldtimers who will argue vehemently that the best fly for darktime fishing is the darkest fly you can find! A A A Types Of Packs There are almost as many styles of packs as there are types of tents. No pack should be worn so low that it will bore into the small of the back. Where the articles in the pack are in contact with the shoulders should-ers or back, as is the case when using a pack sack, be certain there is nothing in the pack that will press against these points and cause chafing or irritation. A good way to avoid this is to fold your blanket and put it in the pack flat against the side that will be against your body. This .will act as a cushion. If the pack is equipped with leather shoulder straps, they should be kept soft, and rubbing them thoroughly thor-oughly with neetsfoot oil will accomplish ac-complish this. Slipping the shoulder shoul-der straps through a slotted, rectangular rec-tangular piece of sheepskin which acts as a pad against the shoulders will sometimes make them more comfortable. The packboard or pack frame is made of either wood slats or a canvas-covered, light weight steel frame so constructed as to hold the weight away and out from the body, making it id"al in hot weather. Pack boards are fitted with shoulder shoul-der straps, and have hooks or holes to accommodate the ropes used to lash load to frame. A head band may be added if desired. They are preferred by campers who must pack outfits that are too heavy, bulky or irregular to fit in a pack sack. AAA Hair Flies Almost every fly fisherman knows what a hair fly is, and knows, too. that it is among the most dependable depend-able and effective of all the wet flies. There is a new variety made with deer hair, horse hair and polar po-lar bear hackles which has a translucent trans-lucent rib woven into the body which gives it a very lifelike appearance. ap-pearance. You can hold this fly up to the light and the translucent rib woven into the body looks almost al-most exactly like the larvae. |