ROCK BASS (Ambloplites rupestris)
I include this little cousin of the black basses merely because he is so often found in good bass streams, being something of a nuisance when the bass are rising well but welcome enough when the larger, better fish register indifference to our masterful casting!
In appearance the rock bass is a sort of connecting link between the common sunfishes and the black bass. His color tends towards mottled, olive green and he has a large mouth and a large red eye. He is often called " goggle-eye." In size he seldom exceeds a pound, more often half that weight, but is a willing riser to the fly, strikes viciously and, for a short time at least, puts up a good fight for his ounces.
