94 ffoWy When, and Where to Fish for Mahseer. CHAP. vi. 



that the Mahseer had noticed that the fish I had hooked, and was 

 pulling in, was in some way distressed, and was therefore more easily 

 capturable. This theory may comfort you in spinning, for a spun fish 

 looks rather like a fish in difficulties, than like a hale and active one. It 

 it also another reason still for spinning slowly, for a distressed sick fish 

 moves slowly and wearily, not with vigorous speed like the too quickly 

 spun fish. 



A fish's range of vision generally is held to be limited by its inability, 

 except in the Angler fish, to dilate and contract and so accommodate the 

 eye to distance, and I think that laterally in the water it is still further 

 circumscribed by the element, that however quickly it may see anything 

 reflected against the light or in the air, it does not see so far laterally 

 under water, in part because of the density of the element. On no 

 other theory could I understand how it is that large fish and small fish 

 manage to exist in such close proximity. You see any number of small 

 fish in one part of a pool ; and in another part of the selfsame pool any 

 number of the very fish that prey upon them ; and those fish are on the 

 feed too, though not noticing the little ones, for directly you spin one 

 of those same little ones near them as a bait, it is taken ; whereas if the 

 big fish had seen the little ones, I cannot conceive why they should let 

 them alone, and immediately take your bait. These little fish, it should 

 be remembered, have no thick coverts in which to hide, like deer from the 

 tigers that prey upon them ; nor have they greater fleetness by which to 

 escape in the open. The substitute for their protection seems to be the 

 short-sightedness of fish and the density of the element in which they 

 live, which makes it difficult to see distinctly any great distance through 

 it laterally, and without a background of light. Fish can dart exceedingly 

 quickly for a short distance, so that a small fish that gets a start before 

 the larger fish is in motion can be very quickly out of sight. Probably 

 only the unwary are taken by surprise, the others relying on the density 

 of the element to save them. Whether by surprise or pursuit the sick 

 could not avail themselves of this means of escape, and would therefore 

 be especially affected by the predatory fish. If there were no such 

 means of escape it would be difficult to understand how small fish could 

 live and feed with any pleasure in the presence of their habitual 

 devourers. With such a retreat close at hand, however, they feed with 

 a sense of security in full sight of their enemies, just as a rat does, 

 enjoying his meal and eyeing you the while, well knowing that his hole 



