THE SENSES OF FISHES. 44 1 



stream, and the fish will scatter like shot, from the shallows 

 where they are feeding or frolicking. The larger the fish and 

 the lesser the depth of water, the greater and wilder the 

 scattering will be. 



Security seems to lie with them in the relative depth of 

 the pools, as the step of the angler only disturbs them in a 

 foot or two of the water. A fish lying in a hole three or 

 four feet deep, close to the banks, is undisturbed by any 

 ordinary concussion. 



Again, any concussion originating in or upon the bed of the 

 river or below the fish, does not appear to disturb them. 

 This was verified by this old angler one day upon a large 

 Bass which he saw lying motionless within a foot of the 

 stake to which the camp boat was tied. The water was 

 about four feet deep. He struck several successive hard 

 blows upon the top of the stake, which protruded about two 

 feet out of the water, without causing a flirt of the fin in the 

 fish below. 



Our angler at once concluded that the Bass could not hear 

 the noise made by footsteps upon the bed of the river when 

 wading in the stream and, as the jolly fins could not hear 

 the conversation originating out of the water, anglers may 

 indulge in social chat and pleasantries whenever inclined, 

 taking care, however, to be always on the safe side, by not 

 becoming too boisterous in their discussions or hilarity. 



"Boys," said a fly-fisher on one occasion, "what fools these 

 bait-fishers are to put their comfort in a straight-jacket 

 when they go a-fishing. Some old fellows won't let you 

 whisper in the boat, and are as querulous and over-cautious 

 as my grandfather was whenever he had an attack of the 

 gout. He would lie flat on his back in bed, with his gouty 

 foot propped up on a pillow laid across a chair, placed bot- 

 tom upward, and in this position would center and strain his 

 eyes and fears upon the knob of the chamber door, which 

 was no sooner turned upon its axle than he was heard crying 

 out with prospective pain, 'Watch out for my foot!'" 



