CHAPTER VIII. 
Spearing Flat-jfish—Have Flat-fish the power of changing 
colour at will ?—Spearing ditto off Ryde—Nest of Stickle- 
back— Deceptive appearance of Fish in water—Instances 
—of Jack—of Trout. 
HERE is worse sport than spearing Flat-fish, 
~~ “fluking,”’ as it is called in the South of 
England, which in sandy estuaries (the favourite 
resorts of these fish) may often be practised with 
considerable success. A four or five-pronged 
spear is the best for the purpose. The prongs 
should be about three inches apart, and barbed 
on one side, and the cross-piece, to which they 
are affixed, attached to a light tough pole just 
long enough to admit of easy use in the water you 
are fishing. The simplest and best mode of 
working this is, when practicable, to allow your 
boat to drift down with the tide, “broadside on,” 
while you spear away at random, or, when the 
water is sufficiently clear and shallow to admit of 
your doing so, reserve your fire until you see a 
