THE VALUE OF OBSERVATION 41 



was certain he could see the fly, he made no 

 attempt to go forward and take it. As it 

 neared him, however, he rushed excitedly to the 

 right and then to the left, taking the fly as it 

 came directly over him, and, before I could 

 realise what had happened, came down-stream 

 toward me at a great rate. As he was securely 

 hooked, I kept him coming, and netted him 

 quietly at the lip of the pool. 



That this fish did not take the fly the instant 

 it fell meant to me that he was afraid to go for- 

 ward into the deeper water which harboured his 

 larger fellow; and his action as the fly appeared 

 over him meant that, while he wanted it badly 

 enough, he would not risk an altercation with 

 the other, which might also have seen it. When 

 he did finally decide that the coast was clear, 

 he took it quickly and rushed down toward 

 the shallower water where he might be secure 

 against sudden attack. 



If some of the theories developed in those 

 few moments appear fanciful, it must be re- 

 membered that my mind was occupied with the 

 thought that the pool contained a larger fish, 

 and the conclusions based upon the subse- 

 quent actions of this smaller one only tended to 

 strengthen this belief. Fanciful or not, I was 



