CHAPTER V 

 SOME NEW IDEAS 



There are variations from the routine of photographing fish in their 

 natural habitat which would be likely to occur to anyone after he had 

 made a start with this engrossing pastime. Some of my thoughts which 

 I have not yet carried out are offered here. Experience and a little knowl- 

 edge of the work of others, with some imagination mixed in, form a base 

 for these suggestions. 



Fish can be speared occasionally with a grains thrust down from above 

 water. The trouble with this sport is that the fish are usually at too great 

 a depth. Naturally, when a man walks on the bottom in the domain of 

 the fishes, his first impulse is to get some, especially when he finds that 

 they are so unconcerned that he can almost touch them. Next time he 

 goes down he takes the grains along, singles out a nice plump yellow 

 Grunt and gives a poke. The fish shows no concern as the deadly weapon 

 passes over his back, missing him by about twelve inches. Then the diver, 

 recognizing that he has not allowed for refraction, aims about twelve 

 inches below the next fish and thrusts viciously. The fish shows no concern, 

 only moves as though accidentally, just enough to avoid being hit. Then 

 the diver understands what is wrong. That "vicious thrust" was really 

 like a slow motion picture. When the whole body is submerged and 

 standing on bottom with only three or four pounds of weight, it cannot 

 back up the thrust of the arm, but moves slightly in the opposite direc- 

 tion. The arm, too, moves with greatly reduced speed because of the 

 resistance of water as compared with that of air. The fish moves away 



1:84] 



