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 



