TROUT FLY-FISHING IN AMERICA 



produce sound waves through the dense medium of the 

 water. 



That trout can hear the human voice under certain 

 conditions is quite true, such as when a person leans over 

 the side of a boat and speaks sharply and quickly with the 

 face parallel with the surface of the water, then trout, if 

 within the sound-affected zone, will hear and become 

 frightened and dart for deeper water. 



This is a forced condition and one seldom, if ever, en- 

 countered by anglers, or any one else, for that matter. 



By what means sound is conveyed to the internal ear of 

 the trout, I must confess I do not know, but I have a very 

 strong leaning to the theory that sound is transmitted to 

 the ear of the trout through the nerves that are united to 

 the base of each scale which leads to a large ganglion, 

 which is located on the forehead below the eyes, and which 

 in turn is connected by nerves to the internal ear. 



At all events, I am fully satisfied that trout hear, and 

 hear very well, under natural conditions, whatever the 

 means are by which this is accomplished. 



This is what William C. Harris has to say: 



"This sense of hearing in all species of fish is a matter of con- 

 cussion on the surface of the water. Sit motionless in a boat, and 

 you may sing 'I Won't Go Home 'Til Morning,' or any other 

 gala song, to the extreme high limit of your voices, and the trout 

 or any other fish will remain undisturbed, but scratch your toe 

 upon the bottom of the boat and, presto! the pool is as dead and 

 barren as a burned prairie. Approach a pool from over the bank 

 with a careless tread, and when you reach it the trout are gone, 

 none know where. 



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