NATURAL FOOD. 33 



WATER INSECTS. 



Next to spawn and young fish, there is a considerable 

 supply of food derived from insects which frequent the 

 water, more particularly the grubs and maggots that 

 live in water, and often in great abundance. The 

 grubs are the young of beetles, of day flies and caddis 

 flies with four wings, and the maggots are the young 

 of gnats and crane flies with two wings. As these 

 grubs themselves lead a predatory life, and are exposed 

 to the attacks of their own kindred as well as of fishes, 

 they are provided with various means of eluding their 

 enemies, either by living in the recesses of water plants, 

 under stones, or at some depth in clay or mud; or by 

 constructing for themselves a dwelling place into which 

 they can retire securely, when danger threatens. 

 Though these grubs and maggots, therefore, may be in 

 great profusion, the fish can only take them by surprise, 

 and would fare but scantily if they had no other 

 resource. 



It consequently opens up a fine variety of baits to 

 the angler, who can easily dislodge these grubs and 

 maggots from their lurking places in the waters, and 

 employ them to entice the fish that are fond of them, 

 but have not the means of securing such prey at their 

 pleasure. It may on this account be useful to describe 

 and figure a few of these, to enable the beginner to find 

 and to recognise them in the water; and I shall begin 

 with what are well known to anglers under various 

 names. 



