30 SALMONIA . [SECOND DAY. 



trifled with. He begins to be tired ; prepare the net. 

 We have him safe, and see your link hangs to his 

 lower jaw : the hook had struck the cartilage on the 

 outside of the bone, and the fly, probably, was scarcely 

 felt by him. 



PHYS. I am surprised ! That fish evidently had 

 discovered that the artificial fly was a dangerous bait, 

 yet he took the natural fly which was on a hook, and 

 when the silkworm gut must have been visible. 



HAL. I do not think he saw either the gut or the 

 hook. In very bright weather and water, I have 

 known very shy fish refuse even a hook baited with the 

 natural fly, scared probably by some appearance of 

 hook or gut. The vision of fishes when the surface is 

 not ruffled is sufficiently keen. I have seen them 

 rise at gnats so small as to be scarcely visible to my 

 eye.*" 



PETS. You just now said, that a fish pricked by 

 the hook of an artificial fly would not usually take it 

 again that season. 



HAL. I cannot be exact on that point : I have 

 known a fish that I have pricked retain his station in 

 the river, and refuse the artificial fly, day after day, 



* [If the stomach of a trout be examined when flies are abundant, 

 often very many different species will be found amongst its contents, 

 large and small, some so small as to be distinguished with difficulty ; 

 marking equally the acuteness of vision of the fish and its industry and 

 pains-taking in procuring sustenance. J. D.] 



