64 BRITISH FRESH-WATER FISHES 
power of drawing tranquil pleasure from scenes which once 
filled him with excitement so exquisite as almost to amount 
to pain. 
One tragic incident of an early perch-fishing expedition 
comes to mind, teaching the lesson of care in the handling 
of instruments of the chase, and that all is not fish that may come 
to the hook. The morning had been bright and breezy ; the 
game was not on the feed, wherefore the simple rods and 
tackle were laid against the wall of a farm-garth, to be resumed 
towards evening, and the anglers turned to discuss the contents 
of a comfortable luncheon basket. Other bipeds were abroad 
seeking their meat. Poultry went about the farm ; a worm 
remained on the hook, whence it came to pass that, when the 
young fisher went to resume his gear, worm and hook had both 
found their billet far down the gullet of a lively hen. Poor 
Partlet was struggling vigorously at the end of a tight line, 
and But let oblivion drop its kindly veil over the harrowing 
scene which followed. The serenity of the evening’s sport was 
irremediably marred. 
By such simple appliances as I have described and other 
favouring conditions of water and weather, it is often but 
a question of perseverance how many perch one may choose 
to catch. 
The late Professor Romanes estimated the average intelli- 
gence of fishes as equal to no more than that of ants, or of 
children four months old. Nevertheless, the angler knows 
that fish possess enough wits to profit by experience ; 
and it cannot be doubted that, in waters that are much 
fished, perch become worldly-wise and suspicious, requiring to 
be circumvented by less conspicuous machinery than serves 
to take them in some Scottish loch or English preserve. 
Adepts recommend a light cane rod, twelve or thirteen feet 
long, a Nottingham winch or reel, a delicate running line 
of silk, and a contrivance which, for some _ inscrutable 
reason, is termed a paternoster. This is a device, as Izaak 
