J41 



Further I am certain, from the very pointed attention 

 I have paid thereto, that lull ling is very generally a 

 symptom of fear, or of doubt : having had innumerable 

 opportunities of watching the actions of fishes, while 

 near my baits, my observations fully satisfy me, that, 

 when fishes which approach a bait, throw out air ^s de- 

 scribed, they never bite. 



Wounded fishes, especially j a els, evince their pain in 

 this manner j as they do also their inquietude, when un- 

 able to swallow their prey. Whenever I have missed a 

 jack in striking at the snap, and that he has thrown up 

 an immense number of small bubbles, I have found 

 great difficulty in getting him to attack my bait a second 

 time. 



More than once I have lost my hook, owing to a jack's 

 having taken my worm, which was intended for other 

 rishes j when, oa casting in a dead bait at the place 

 where I have known him to lie, by observing how abun- 

 dantly the small bubbles arose, I have taken the jack, 

 with my former bait and hook fast in his mouth. 



When I have been obliged, from the want of min- 

 nows, gudgeons, &c. to put on a small roach, or dace, 

 as a dead-lait, and have been taken by a jack, which 

 threw up bubbles, I invariably found, either that my 

 bait was too large for it to gorge 5 or that the jack was 

 wounded in the mouth; or that, however greedy he 

 might seem in seizing my bait, yet that he was too full 

 to admit of swallowing it without difficulty. 



These I assert to be the general circumstances atten- 

 dant on fishes throwing out air j and I strongly recom- 

 mend to the young sportsman to be guided by any other 

 indication in preference to this j which seems to be 

 rather an adverse than a favourable omen ! 



Of 



