THE SENSES OF FISHES. 17 



angling in the English language is that of the fair Dame 

 Berners (1496), and it is too practical internally for us to 

 doubt that the drawings and descriptions she gives 

 of tackle are, indeed, representations of what caught fish 

 in her day. Yet an angler would be mad to attempt the 

 use of such rough implements now, either in this or any 

 other country. 



And further, on virgin streams, which still exist, 

 though rarely, the comparative tameness and unsophist- 

 ication of the fish argue that the march of intellect 

 or as a " too, too utter" Boston writer terms it, the 

 " march of cephalization " in a comparative sense ap- 

 plies to fish as to all other animals. The ancient angler, 

 whose rod was a sturdy oak 



"His line a cable that in storms ne'er broke, 

 His hook was baited with a dragon's tail, 

 He sat upon a rock and bobbed for whale," 



this man would probably scorn the gossamer gut and 

 tiny, accurately imaged fly used on clear, hard-fished 

 streams. Yet hundreds of fly-fishers will bear me wit- 

 ness that the latter are indispensable. Probably this ex- 

 treme refinement is not yet so absolutely necessary in 

 this country, but the day is not far distant when it will 

 be, and many good anglers of my acquaintance are even 

 now embracing it as a means to more invariable good 

 sport on clear streams. 



One palpable result of this education of trout " on the 

 other side " is the general adoption of the dry fly up- 

 stream fishing. The angler stalks his fish from behind 

 as he lies head up stream and, drying the fly by means of 

 a couple or three flips backward and forward in the air, 



