GAY COLORS THE MOST ATTRACTIVE. 29 



Light seems peculiarly attractive to fishes, as proven by 

 their surrounding a diving-bell with a light in it. Walter 

 Scott, in his Guy Mannering, describes the plan adopted in 

 Scotland for attracting fishes by grates of living coal, or 

 torches carried by the fishermen as they wade shallow 

 streams for the purpose of spearing. When a fish is thus 

 discovered, it remains fascinated by the glare of light, sel- 

 dom makes an effort to escape, and is easily speared. This 

 is one of the many devices by which the Indians and vagrant 

 whites kill the salmon and trout while on their spawning- 

 beds, both in Maine and in the dominion of Canada. 



The Chinese catch fish by employing two narrow boats, 

 with a board painted white and varnished nailed to them, so 

 as to slope outward and almost touch the water, and so as 

 to reflect the light of the moon. Toward these boats the fish 

 dart, and, falling on them, are caught with ease. 



From the pretended imitations of baits and .flies for cap- 

 turing fishes may be logically deduced the fact that fish are 

 near-sighted, and do not perceive with great distinctness any 

 minute object, however near to them. The most successful 

 artificial baits to troll with for the fishes of our lakes and 

 rivers are thus arranged : a pair of hooks disguised by a few 

 gaudy feathers bright red and white being the most suc- 

 cessful colors and at the shank* of the hook is placed a piece 

 of silver, brass, or copper, of oval or diamond shape, so ar- 

 ranged as to revolve rapidly, and appear as little like any 

 thing living in or out of the water as possible. What is 

 known as the common " spoon," made with swivels, and a 

 shoulder on the shank of the hook, so as to revolve rapidly 

 by drawing it through the water, is frequently a more capti- 

 vating lure than a live fish. In trolling for bluefish, a piece 

 of lead or bone five inches long forms a more successful lure 

 than the sea-shiner which is its principal sustenance ; and a 

 piece of pearl, five inches long by half an inch in diameter, 

 either round or oval, is the most 1 attractive troll for Spanish 

 mackerel ; while, a plain piece of red flannel, attached to a 



