FROM THE FISHES POINT OF VIEW. 159 



and gloomy the bright fly ceased to attract ; a change 

 to a dull coloured one soon mended matters." It will 

 be interesting to hear if other members have observed 

 this fact. It has been averred that brackish or salt 

 water has more tendency to produce iridescent colours 

 and also to make objects in it glitter, and that is one 

 reason why salmon, which are used to feed on small 

 glittering fish, and prawns which are semi-transparent, 

 and have long antennae and many legs, which glitter 

 and shine as they swim along, should be attracted by 

 a gaudy imitation of we know not what. We watch 

 the various crustacese and so on in a salt-water 

 aquarium in sunshine and shadow with interest, and 

 the way they change colour according to the light and 

 shade is very suggestive and interesting. 



The various reasons assigned by different philoso- 

 phers or observers for fish taking a fly are curiosity, 

 pugnacity, acquisitiveness, jealousy, and hunger. I 

 would suggest that at any time it is possible to get a 

 lot of rises from the first cause, by putting on a big fly 

 or beetle in bright conditions, or even a salmon fly if 

 it floats well. The trout will rise at it like fun, but 

 not one in ten will be hooked : they are simply flirting 

 with the unknown. Again, an abnormal fly put over 

 the haunt of an old stager causes annoyance and a 

 splashy, pugnacious rise is the result. 



If two good fish have their haunts near together 

 they become exceedingly jealous, and one is certain to 

 fall a victim of acquisitiveness or jealousy in the fear 

 lest his neighbour gets there first. The second fish, 



