FISHING BY HAND. 



191 



no trouble as a rule in getting his hand close to the fish 

 without alarming it : tench, indeed, seem rather sluggish. 

 He then passes his fingers under the belly and gently rubs 

 it. Now it would appear that he has the fish in his power, 

 and has only to grasp it. But grasping is not so easy ; or 



'X V' 



TICKLING TROUT. 



rather it is not so easy to pull a fish up through two feet 

 of superincumbent water which opposes the quick passage 

 of the arm. The gentle rubbing in the first place seems 

 to soothe the fish, so that it becomes perfectly quiescent, 

 except that it slowly rises up in the water, and thus enables 

 the hand to get into proper position for the final seizure. 



