Conditions which Govebn Biting of Fish. 333 



Some anglers tell us that fish will not bite lefore a rain; 

 others say they will not take a bait during a rain ; and still 

 others affirm that it is useless to fish after a rain. Now, 

 while there is a grain of truth in each of these opinions, 

 yet if we blindly accept all of them and endeavor to follow 

 them, we shall have no further use for our fishing-tackle. 



I do not think that rain, per se, has any influence what- 

 ever upon the feeding of fish. It is, of course, -impossible 

 for us to judge in this matter by a comparison with terres- 

 trial creatures; but, fishes being inhabitants of the watery 

 element, it is not reasonable to suppose that a rain makes 

 any difl'erence with them at all, at the time, though they 

 profit or not by the subsequent rising and roiling of the 

 water. 



The multitudes of insects which are said to be beaten 

 down from the overhanging trees and from the air into 

 the water, during a shower of rain, must be taken cum 

 grano sails; for insects, like most other mundane creatures, 

 know enough to " come in out of the wet." We really 

 find no more insects floating on the water during a rain, 

 than at other times, though it is true that many are col- 

 lected and swept by rains from the surface of the ground, 

 and washed into the streams by swollen brooks and 

 branches; but with the insects, go, also, the washings, 

 debris, and particles of soil to discolor and thicken the 

 streams, so that the fish may really fast in the midst of 

 plenty, not being able to see the sudden influx of food by 

 reason of the turbidity of the water ; and, again, it is doubt- 

 ful if fish feed much on dead insects. 



The fish, however, on the other hand, are enabled to 

 extend their range in foraging for food, during freshets, 

 when the water has cleared sufficiently to allow them to 

 discover it. 



