198 THE COLOUR-SENSE IN FISHES 



in the opposite direction. Fishing a number of 

 years ago on the River Deveron, a big rise of 

 fly came on suddenly, and large trout were at 

 at once rising in a ' boil ' in all directions ; but, 

 as so often happens in such circumstances, they 

 would not look at the artificial flies offered to 

 them. After several changes, a cast of York- 

 shire hackles was tried with gratifying success, 

 and a nice basket of good average size was 

 secured. But every one of these was taken on 

 one particular fly, the so-called ' partridge and 

 blue.' This fly, moreover, was not at the end 

 of the cast of four flies usually the most killing 

 position but higher up. 



This was thought at the moment to be a 

 great discovery, and many ' blue partridges ' 

 were sent for ; but never again was it found 

 to be of much, or any use. Now all the other 

 flies on the cast were likewise Yorkshire hackles 

 of exactly the same size and pattern, save only 

 colour, and all were patterns of proved value as 

 killers on Deveron ; so wherefore the preference 

 for that particular blue ? To the writer the 

 riddle remains unsolved. 



On the point in question, Mr. J. A. Harvie- 

 Brown says : l 'Trout show decided preferences 

 for colours (at least educated trout)/ That 



1 The Wonderful Trout, p. 41 ; David Douglas, 1898. 



