306 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 



and the flies you use, entirely by his directions ; that he 

 is to make such suggestions as he thinks proper at all 

 times, and that you wish him so to do. You may feel 

 sure your confidence will not be abused, and that he will 

 then do the very best for you that circumstances will 

 permit. 



June and September are the best months for fly-fish- 

 ing, the large fish being taken at other times only by 

 deep trolling, or still -fishing with bait in deep water. 

 Fly-fishing is not commonly practised in June, but 

 judging from a single experience in 1883, I think this 

 a mistake. 



But little has been written on the development of vi- 

 sion and hearing in fish, and that little has been theory 

 rather than deduction from actual experiment. My own 

 experiments as to the effect that sound produces on trout 

 (and I assume that all fishes are more or less alike in this 

 respect) have been confined to this : Frequently, when 

 able to observe a trout while myself unseen, I have 

 screamed and shouted at the top of my voice. These 

 demonstrations have invariably been without the slight- 

 est effect; but when varied by a concussion which could 

 communicate itself to the water this has no longer been 

 the case, and evidence of alarm, or at least that the con- 

 cussion was felt, has been apparent. In an English work, 

 the name of which I in vain endeavor to recall, an account 

 of some very interesting and more decisive experiments 

 are given. The writer caused a building to be erected 

 over the water, and made his observations through small 

 apertures constructed for the purpose, so that he was 

 quite concealed. His trout were well accustomed to the 

 wiles of the angler, and timid. Sending a man out of 

 sight behind the building, the firing of a gun by him 



