line against the rod, submerge the net, and let him float over it. There! Almost two pounds of fighting fish licked to a frazzle! I hug the rod to my bosom, remove the hook and kill the fish — we are at least sure of our dinners.
There are several points on hooking, playing and landing a fish that are worth explaining. Sometimes, especially in fast water, a fish will hook himself but ordinarily it must be done by the angler. This little trick, called " the strike," is something to which young anglers should give some study. With an ordinary bass rod the best method of striking is tightening the line by a twist of the wrist from the left to the right. With a whippy rod best results will be had by sweeping the rod tip downward smartly. When there is slack in the line or near the end of the retrieve it is best to strike both with the wrist movement and by a short tug on the slack held in the left hand. An expert can execute both movements simultaneously with just the correct amount of force and do it instinctively. Always strike when you see the flash of the fish or when you hear him swirl; don't wait to feel him "bite." If you fail to hook him don't be in a hurry to cast for him again — make a cast or two in another direction or change your fly.
